Passion and Vengeance
by PhantomMalevolence
Summary: Erik had once fallen in love with the rich spoiled heiress, Christine Daniels. Christine did nothing but torture the poor boy, BUT NOW their roles are reversed. Christine needs desperately his help and Erik thinks of paying her back.*COMPLETED*
1. Long time no see

A/N: Sooooo... let s give it another try ;D...  
okay, as i promised my second story will be up within October :D...  
i want to thank everyone who supported me, your PMs were very encouraging :)... i only hope i won t disappoint you, guys :)...  
something i want to confess is that this period i m extremely busy with the university and i won t be able to update the story very frequently, so expect no more than one chapter per week...

**Summary:** Christine Daniels was in desperate need for help, and only one person could help her... Erik Moreau...  
Erik Moreau, the illegitimate son of a maid, was once madly in love with the rich, spoiled Christine but after her rejection; his heart grew cold. Now, so many years later, as a successful businessman, he finds Christine at his threshold begging for his help. He could send her away or... take a little revenge, not only for his ruined feelings, but also for the mask that covered the right side of his face; after all it was her fault... or maybe not...

**WARNINGS: **AU, Raoul bashing, M rated for one reason ^.^...

**Beta: the wonderful Ashes Fan, thank you so much for your help :D!**

**Disclaimer**: I DO NOT OWN PotO or the main plot of the story.

LET THE SHOW BEGIN ;)...

* * *

**Passion and Vengeance**

**Chapter 1: Long time no see...**

"Monsieur Moreau will see you now." The receptionist informed Christine with cold politeness "But he only has ten minutes available for you."

Christine tried to hide all her emotions, although the past hour she was burning inside, while Erik Moreau was deciding whether he is going to respond or not to her emergency request. "Thank you..." she said "I'll try to not take much of his valuable time"

No matter how embarrassing it was to see Erik again, she was determined to be calm and composed under whatever circumstances. Many important things were at stake, so she should not burst into offenses and curses, just like she would have done five years ago.

The luxury suite of his company, built in London's heart, mirrored the amazing ascension of his fame in the real estate's investments. He had amazed everyone considering that he was once the poor illegitimate kid of one of the Daniels' family maids, Madeleine's. Christine's father recognised Erik's talent and did his best to offer him the best education possible.

Her father's thought made her stronger at that moment. Erwin Daniels' health was in a fragile condition after a serious heart attack, something which meant that while her mother was at his side, she had to deal with all the difficulties of their family business.

The problem at the Daniels' Company was sudden and if her father found out, who knows what would happen to him? Christine would be able to walk on burning charcoals in order to avoid that, and that was exactly what she was doing now... Erik Moreau was far worse than burning charcoals.

She raised her hand and knocked hastily at his door, feeling her stomach turn to knots just like every time she was at the same room with him.

"Come in." Erik's cold voice was heard.

She straightened her shoulders and turned the knob holding her head high. The fact that he didn't stand up proved that he was ready to offend her, something she expected from him. He always had an impudent air, even when he was part of the Daniels' household.

The millisecond before he opened his mouth to speak Christine took him all in and felt her heart ready to fly away in spite of her efforts to control it. Although he was sitting, his height was quite obvious, while his dark hair was shining from the sun's light coming in from the large windows. Her fingers itched her to touch it.

At the right-hand side of his face he wore the marks he got as a teenager. She wondered why he refused to get an operation. She smiled to herself; another man would have surely gone to a plastic surgeon, but not Erik... Erik wore his fighting-marks as medals. She remembered he had a large scar starting over his right eyebrow and extended to his mid cheek, it was about ten centimetres long and one centimetre wide. He looked intimidating and so annoyingly attractive.

So, as soon as she faced a white mask covering the right side of his face; she was shocked. _"What has happened to him? Why haven't my parents mentioned anything?"_ she wondered and frowned. The last time she had seen him was at her wedding day... a lot of years ago...

"How is the Happy Widow today?" he mocked as his eyes caressed slowly over her entire body from head to toe. "It's been a long time since we last met Christine. When was the last time? One year? Two years ago? Or maybe _five_?I can say that mourning suits you, Christine. You have never been more beautiful." His voice trailed off.

Christine stiffened at his ironic statement. Raoul Chaney was dead for over two years now but clearly Erik never _forgot_ to talk about him with his caustic tone. Christine felt like he had slapped her hard on the face when he talked about her deceased husband, but she would never admit that to Erik.

Despite her inner struggling she remained calm "May I have a seat?"

He waved with his hand "Put your cute arse on _that_ chair. But only for ten minutes. I have many things to do today."

Christine sat on the chair's edge, angry with herself for blushing at his words. Erik had the very annoying habit to tease her with personal comments which made her aware of her body in a way that no one else could.

"So," Erik leaned back on his expensive leather chair "what can I do for you, Chrissie Daniels?"

Christine clenched her teeth. No one called her that. Only him. And he did it on purpose since she was fourteen years old when his mother started working for the Daniels and brought her twenty-year-old son with her to help. Erik was born and raised till the age of ten in France and each time he spoke her name he made it sound special. The two syllables his sensual mouth pronounced made her shiver, not really caring whether he called her Christine or Chrissie.

"I'm here to talk to you about a little problem." She said, hoping Erik wasn't aware of her clenched fists or her stiff shoulders "With my father unable to help, I would really appreciate your advice about the way I have to act."

Erik was sitting and observing her closely while playing with his platinum pen. _Click... clack... click... clack..._ It was like he was trying to synchronise it with his steady heart-beat.

"How is your father today?" he questioned. "I visited him last night. He didn't look very well, but it's logical, I guess."

Christine was well aware of Erik's visits to her father and that's why she was trying to go to the hospital at a totally different time. "He gets better." She replied. "The operation will take place next week. I think they are waiting to stabilise him first."

"Yes, of course" he said, finally leaving the pen on his office desk. "But the doctors have said that he is going to be perfectly fine, haven't they?"

Christine tried to avoid looking at his hands, but for some reason her gaze was magnetised. He had broad, square hands with hair on them that made him seem even manlier at his thirty two years.

He was not the young guy from her past anymore. His face, at least the part she could see, was clean-shaven, and his body was even broader and more muscled.

"Chrissie!"

Christine stopped her day-dreaming and turned her gaze to his. He had amazing eyes. His pitch black hair and his tanned skin made the azure colour of his eyes look more magnificent.

She knew nothing about Erik's father; on the other hand, she had never asked Erik about him, although she was pretty sure he wasn't French, but she couldn't say for sure, after all, Erik had his mother's last name. She had heard a few rumours as she grew up about Madeleine being very sad and refusing to talk about this matter.

"Uhm... I can't be very sure." She replied to the question about her father "I haven't talked with the doctors for some time."

When she finished her sentence she realised how apathetic she must have sounded. Like her father's health was not her first priority. And this was light-years away from the truth. She wouldn't be in front of him if it wasn't for her parents. She would never think of asking for Erik's help otherwise, it was desperation that led her to his threshold.

"May I assume that your visit to my _den_ has to do with the re-purchase of the Daniels' resort at your family's island?" he broke the silence.

Christine couldn't hide her surprise. She had only learned everything the night before, how was this possible?

"Hmmm... yes, it has to do with it." She replied and turned nervously on the chair. "As you know, my father got a loan for its renovation about a year and a half ago. Last night I was informed that there was a vexation from the bank. If we don't pay off the loan, the resort will be re-purchased. I cannot allow this."

"Have you spoken to your economic consultants about this?" Erik asked.

Christine was ready to collapse "They said there is no way to find so much money in twenty four hours." She lowered her gaze.

Erik started playing with his pen again, but a little faster this time.

"I believe you haven't told anything to your father."

"No..." Christine murmured not daring to lift her eyes to meet his. "I didn't want to stress him. I am afraid that the news will do no good to his health."

"How about the resort's supervisors? Do they know anything about this?"

Christine licked her lips nervously "I talked to Marie and Samuel Gary last night. They are worried about their jobs of course, but I tried to calm them down."

"Have you brought all the needed papers with you?" Erik questioned after a small pause.

"Eeeer... no... I thought I should talk to you first." Christine was well aware of how wrong her answer was. She could see that in his piercing gaze as he scrutinised her.

She felt as hopeless as a little child. She always felt like this in difficult situations, but she didn't have the courage to admit it to her parents.

Her parents had very high standards for her, especially after her elder brother's death and she was trying in every possible way to fill the gap Nathan left.

Erik leaned backwards with his eyes nailed to hers "So, you have less than twenty four hours to purchase the money, otherwise you lose the resort's main priority." He summed up.

Christine wetted her dry lips with the tip of her tongue"That's right." She said in fear "If I don't find the money, the Daniels' family will own only 35% of the resort's holdings. I am not sure what you can do about it, but I know my father... If he weren't ill, he would first seek your advice."

His gaze never moved; something that stirred Christine.

"Do you know who is behind all this?" he asked.

She shook her head and sighed "I asked, but no one seems to know anything about the company that is behind that."

"And how much are they asking?"

Christine trembled and inhaled deeply "Eighteen million pounds."

His visible eyebrow rose "Not exactly the amount of money someone would have in cash." He commented.

"None of the Daniels' have so much money, nor in cash, nor in a bank account." She licked her lips again "I am sure my father would never expect something like that... "

"Hmmm..."

Christine moved uncomfortably on the chair "I...I was wondering what your suggestion about this situation is..." she held her breath. At that moment she was able to hear her heart pounding in her chest "I kn... know that I am a bother to you, but my father respect your judgement. And that is why I am here now."

Erik burst into a deep and utterly masculine laughter "Yes, of course, I fail to imagine you seeking my company in order to discuss the weather." He said. And then he added ironically "By the way, you have five minutes left."

Christine bit her bottom lip as she tried to stay under control "I think you are well aware of what I am asking from you." She murmured brokenly "Don't make me syllabise it only to feed your enormous ego."

A wild sparkle appeared in his eyes as he leaned on his desk "You want me to pay off the loan, is that it?" he questioned locking gazes with her.

"My father has done a lot for you..." Christine started the little speech she had prepared the night before. "... He paid your guarantee when you were accused of stealing a car in you twenties, not much time after you came to our house with your mother. And he gave you your first loan for the university. You wouldn't be here if it weren't for him and his faith in you."

He leaned backwards again and seemed apathetic at her words. He took his pen again, but this time he held it between his thumb and forefinger. "Eighteen million pounds are a lot of money, Christine." He stated "If I were to give you this money, I would like something in return. Something I could count on in case things don't go as we imagine them."

Christine felt a shiver running down her spine. "You mean like a guarantee, or something like that?" she asked "Eeeer... we could call our lawyers to prepare something. A settlement adjustment in... Let's say six years, with stable rate of interest. What do you think?"

Erik smirked "It seems a great risk to me." He paused "I would like a guarantee better than something written on a paper."

She stared him flabbergasted. "I am not quite sure what you mean... If you ask for something more there is the house, but mum and dad would..."

"I don't want their house..." he interrupted her and his eyes burned like fire.

Christine bit her bottom lip and her stomach turned to a tighter knot. "Then...then what do you want?" she asked, angry with herself that she sounded terrified.

She felt like the air she breathed weighted tons and her fragile ribs couldn't stand its weight inside her lungs. An icy fear made her slowly shiver.

Erik's eyes were full of dark shadows and didn't leave hers... not for a second. "How about you being the guarantor?"

Christine frowned. "I don't own so much money." Her heart was ready to leave her chest " I have a small income from the company , but nothing that could pay off this amount within only six years."

He raised his visible eyebrow cynically "Oh, you mean that your _husband _didn't leave you in the rich life you were used to, huh?"

Christine lowered her eyes in order to avoid his I-had-warned-you-about-that look. "Raoul's economics were awful when he died so suddenly. He owed money... and I had so many things to take care of..." _and so many secrets to keep_ she thought.

Everything went silent for a while.

"I will give you the money." Erik said at last "With a few 'clicks' I can transfer them to your father's Company account. Your problem will be solved before you reach the ground floor on your way out."

Christine could feel a 'but' floating around, and she waited without really breathing. She knew him too well and was sure he wouldn't give this money without some kind of term in their agreement. Of course Erik respected her father and mother but he had every right to hate her and she couldn't imagine him leaving the 'golden chance' of showing her how much he despised her.

"But of course there will be some terms in our agreement." Erik's voice broke the silence.

Christine felt her heart stop for a moment as she eyed a determined sparkle in his eyes "Wh...What kind of terms?"

"It's really a wonder that you haven't already guessed." He stated with a barely audible diabolic smile on his face.

Christine's fear heightened "I have no... no idea what you are talking about." Her nails dug into the soft skin of her palms as she clenched her fists.

"Ah, but I think you have an idea..." he narrowed his eyes "Do you remember the night before your wedding?"

She pushed herself to turn her gaze as a guilty red colour appeared on her soft cheeks. The memory was so lively like it had happened only yesterday. Only god knew how many times she had recalled this short, wild controversy during her failed marriage, while she was wondering how different her life would be if she had listened to Erik's warning...

_The marriage's rehearsal continued, although Raoul had called at the last moment to announce that he had an extremely serious meeting and didn't know whether he would make it or not. _

_Erik had reached the church exhausted and unshaven after a trip he had in France. It lasted nearly six months as his mother had asked him to pass her last days in her motherland._

_He was leaning against a pillar with his strong arms crossed against his chest and his gaze, this amazingly piercing gaze, was locked on Christine's ethereal form._

_When they were finished, Gladys, Christine's mother, invited everyone to the Daniels' house for a light dinner. Christine hoped Erik would decline the invitation, but when she got out of one of the bathrooms at the first floor, about half an hour later, he appeared in front of her, blocking her way._

"_I would like to have a couple of words with you, Christine." He said firmly "Privately."_

"_I don't think there is anything to be said between us." Christine replied coldly and tried to walk pass him, but he grabbed her wrist in a vice grip "Leave me, Erik." She protested, trying to free herself._

_His hold on her only became tighter. "Stop this whole thing, Christine." He said in a tone Christine swore she had never heard before in his voice "He is not the one for you."_

_Her pride made her raise her chin resolutely "Leave me, now." She repeated and she scratched his arm with her free hand._

_Erik winced as her nails dug in his skin and caught her other hand too and pulled her onto him, closer than ever before. She was shocked by the firmness of his chest, and she felt paralysed while his strong thighs were moulded to her body._

_His eyes were burning as they fought with hers. "Stop it!" he told her "Your parents will understand. It's not too late."_

_She gave him a cold look "If you don't leave me this instant, I'll tell everyone that you tried to attack me. You will go to jail. Raoul's father will be my lawyer. He will cut your feet off."_

_He pursed his lips and Christine spotted a vein pounding at the side of his neck "Chaney marries you only for your money."_

_Christine went mad, although a tiny hint of suspicion had started forming inside her brain. "You don't know what you are saying!" she spitted "Raoul loves me. I know he loves me."_

_Erik's hands were like handcuffs on her delicate wrists. "If what you want is marriage, then marry me. At least with me you'll know where you are heading to."_

_Christine laughed "Marry you?" she asked and she continued as offensively she could "And let my entire life pass just like your mother's? Cleaning other people's dirt? Thank you, but I am not interested."_

"_I won't let you do this, Christine." He warned her. "If you don't cancel the wedding tonight, I'll rise during the ceremony tomorrow and say why this marriage must not take place."_

"_You wouldn't dare!"_

_His gaze challenged her "Watch me, and you'll see, Chrissie" he told her "Do you want the entire London to hear what kind of man you're marrying?"_

_She gave him a murderous look "I'll make sure you stay away from my wedding" she spat "I'll talk to my father's security guards and the entrance for you will be forbidden. I'm marrying Raoul tomorrow, no matter what you say. I love him."_

"_You don't know who or what you want right now" he said and the muscle at his chin began drumming "Damn it Christine, you're only twenty one years old. Your brother's suicide broke you. All of us are broken. Your engagement was a reaction to this tragedy. For god's sake, even a blind person can see that."_

_Her brother and his tragic death's reference freed a wave of anger that Christine kept inside her only out of respect towards her parents. So, she did the first thing that came into her mind..._

_With a force she wasn't aware of; she freed herself from Erik's grip and slapped him hard on his face. It must have hurt him, because her hand started trembling and her thin bones felt like they were smashed on a stone-wall._

_Time froze for several moments of agony..._

_Something dangerous appeared into his blue-green eyes and then, with a speed that cut her breath, Erik pulled her into his strong embrace, covering with his hot, angry mouth hers._

Christine had to shake her head in order to return to the present. She hated the memory of this kiss. She hated the memory of her shameless response to him. and she hated the memory of the bruises she had on her wrist the day of her wedding –like Erik Moreau, despite her command to stay away from the church, had come to laugh at her wedding with Raoul Chaney.

"Tell me what you want and let's finish this." She said angrily, while staring at him like she was ready to attack.

"I want you to become my wife."

Christine was not sure what shocked her the most: the raw declare of his intentions or the terrifying discovery that she could only agree with that.

"It seems rather _strange _to ask me something like this, considering our mutual hatred." She finally said without, as he hoped, showing her heart's wavering.

"You don't hate me, Christine." He said grinning mischievously. "You just hate they way I make you feel. There was always something between us, wasn't there? The forbidden lust: the rich heiress and the bad guy, the maid's son. What do you think?"

Christine gave him a strict look "You live in fairytales." She said "I never encouraged you to think anything else apart from how much I loathe you."

He stood up then, without showing any feeling and looked at his watch, "Your time's up, Chrissie."

Christine clenched her teeth. "I need more time to consider your offer."

"The offer will be off within thirty seconds." He said firmly "Are you going to accept it? Or leave it?"

Christine stood too; feeling drowned into rage "We are talking about the job of an entire life. My father's life." Her voice sounded high-pitched "He built the resort out of nothing. How can you turn your back to him? After everything he has done for you? Damn it, Erik! You'd be in jail if it weren't for my family."

His gaze was as hard as a diamond, his mouth stiff as granite "This is all I'm asking, Christine... Marriage or nothing..."

Christine clenched her fist and felt her nails digging in her palms' soft flesh. Rage made her shiver "You know I cannot refuse. You know it... You're doing this only because I declined your stupid proposal so many years ago."

Erik leaned over his telephone and after pressing a button he said calmly "Rita is my next client here? Miss Chaney is leaving."

Christine could already see her father's business collapse. He would have to sell his house... the house that his parents and his grandparents had lived in before him. Christine could imagine the disappointment on her father's face after telling to him that she had betrayed him, that she couldn't cope with this situation...

And then she thought of her brother. Nathan was talented and he could make everything better in no time.

But she couldn't do it... she just couldn't... she hated that job...

What she liked was... Anyway, there wasn't any reason to think of what she liked, because she could never get it. She had to put her dreams into a cupboard and lock them there, at least until her father got better... _if_ her got better, she thought feeling panicked.

Marrying Erik Moreau was something repulsive for her. However, no woman would describe him as repulsive. On the contrary, he was wonderful. His slim muscled body, his silky black hair, his sensual lips, his eyes with the hypnotising gaze and moreover the mysterious air that his mask breathed were enough to make any woman's heart leave her chest.

Christine was definitely in trouble, but what else could she do? Who would lend her so much money in less than twenty four hours?

She swallowed as she scrutinised Erik again. Could she do it? Could she agree to it, even though this entire thing was pure madness?

Erik was dangerous. He was an egoist, a playboy and the worst of all, he was utterly angry with her.

But she couldn't ask anyone else's help. It was in her hand to save her family's business...

"Okay." She agreed and sighed. "I will do it."

"Good." He said simply "The money will be transferred into your father's account within the next few minutes. I'll take you to dinner tonight, so that we can discuss _our_ marriage's details."

"Can't we just wait a few days till..." she tried to protest, but was interrupted by his cynic laughter "Till you have the time to find _a way out_ of this? Is that why, Chrissie? I don't think so, sweetheart. Now that I have you, I won't let you go..."

"What am I supposed to tell to my parents?" she spat giving him a deadly look, while her stomach was turning into a knot.

He only smiled "Why don't you tell them that you finally decided to think reasonably and agreed to marry me?"

"Ha ha. If I told them anything like that, they would surely think I am crazy."

"Or, they'll think you are madly in love." He talked back "And that's exactly what I would prefer them to believe at this moment. Your father's health won't be very stable after the operation, I believe. I don't want anything to happen to him because he's worried about you, or the company."

Christine couldn't disagree with that.

"I was planning to go to the hospital tonight... Am I going to meet you there or at my house?"

"I have two meetings that will probably take up my entire evening. I'll meet you at your home at eight thirty". He announced to her. "I would also like to talk to your father some time about my... intentions..."

Christine couldn't stop her smile. "I didn't think you were the 'traditional' guy who asked for his _love's_ hand from her father. To be totally honest, I didn't think that you were a guy for a family at all. The only thing we were learning about you in the newspapers is that you change your lovers every week."

Erik, for some reason, smiled in shame and lowered his gaze. "As people say, variety is the salt of life. But every man sometimes feels the urge to create a family."

Christine stared at him suspiciously "This marriage... between us... Will not last for a very long time, will it?"

"Only as long as it takes to... achieve its goal..." he answered and Christine realised he hadn't actually replied to her question.

Erik walked to the door and kept it open for her. "I'll see you tonight. I'll call you."

Christine walked next to him with her head raised proudly. Her perfume tickled his nostrils. She smelled like orange blossoms or was it honeysuckle? He couldn't say for sure. Perhaps they were both. That was the problem with Christine; she was a combination of many different things, and each of them set his senses on fire, let alone all together.

The door closed after her and Erik let out the breath he was holding without realising it. "Devil!" he said, covering his face with his hands. He put off his mask and caressed his marred side... _"If only Christine knew..."_ he thought _"She could never think of Chaney as Mr Nice Guy... ever again."_

"Mr Moreau?" the cold, firm voice of his secretary was heard from the telephone "Mr Grands is here. Are you available?"

Erik inhaled deeply and placed his mask on his face again "Yes... I will see him now. But tell him that I only have five minutes."

* * *

**A/N: so, how was it? just let me know :)...**


	2. Let's call it a date

A/N: Hello everyone! A great **THANK YOU** to my reviewers for your warm welcome :D! It s really great to know that you enjoy the story so far :)...

For my anonymous reviewers ;) :

**Thaovyphantran: **your review made me grin and i have to say that i totally agree with you ;)... if i were Christine, i would marry Erik without his proposal xDxDxD...  
thank you so much for your wonderful review :), hope you ll enjoy the rest of the story too :)...

**Balack88: **hahaha... yes, i m back... and i see that that you re back too ;P... i m glad to know that you continue reading my stories :)... thank you for reviewing :D!

**123456: **i m so glad to have you back :D! thank you very much for your kind words :), i ll try to post as soon and as much as i can although it s pretty difficult this period because of my studying :/...  
anyways... thanks for reviewing :)...

SO! here is chapter 2...

**Beta: the amazing Ashes Fan D!**

**Disclaimer**: I DO NOT OWN PotO or the main plot of the story.

HOPE YOU ENJOY IT!

* * *

**Chapter 2: Let's call it a date...**

Christine had to call forth all her courage as she moved closer to her father's bed. The little tubes and wires that were attached to his wrinkled body made her stomach turn into a knot.

"How are you dad?" she whispered as she leaned forward to brush her lips to his cheek.

"I am still alive." He replied and gave her a little smile, but Christine could clearly see the fear inside the honey depths of his eyes.

"Did the doctors say anything more?" She asked turning to her mother.

"The operation will take place tomorrow" Gladys sighed and rubbed her temples "Erik talked with the cardiologist and took care of everything. He just left actually. It's strange that you didn't meet him at the hallway."

Christine's body tensed. "Erik was here?"

"Yes, sweetheart." Her mother said "He's here every day. But you already know that."

"Yes... But I talked with him in the morning and he said he had some meetings in the evening." The girl said and bit her lip.

Gladys narrowed her eyes and scrutinised her closely. "I hope you are good to him." she scolded "He supports us so much and being polite is the least you can do... especially now."

Christine wanted to burst into laughter, she couldn't believe in her ears.

Gladys Daniels was one of those people who discouraged any kind of contact with the staff. She rarely talked to Erik's mother during all those years she had been working for the Daniels, and when she did speak to her it was because she wanted to order her. Gladys was less friendly with Madeleine's bad-mannered son; and especially after he almost got sent to jail she had tried to forbid his entrance to the Daniels' Manor, but her husband, Erwin, had protested.

Christine hadn't shown respect to Madeleine either, and that was something she deeply regretted. But her behaviour towards Erik was even worse especially during her teens. She used to belittle him in front of her friends when he was within earshot. She used to flirt with him and then turned her back and leave. She had no excuse about her outrageous acts apart from being one extremely insecure teenager, who was trying to build her self-respect by having other rich girls as friends, who showed no respect to other people.

Once, after a 'friend's' initiation, she had written one provocatively enticing letter to him, where she asked him to meet her at the garden's little house that evening. But instead she stood in front of one of the Manor's windows, laughing with her friends when they saw Erik reaching the little house with a bouquet of white roses for her. What made her feel more ashamed was Erik's reaction. Instead of yelling at her and calling her names, he didn't say a word... neither to her or her parents, not even to her brother, Nathan, who was a very good friend of his, who he used to spend many hours with.

Erwin outstretched his hand and touched Christine, bringing her back to the present.

"Erik is a good man." He said weakly "I know you still mourn for Raoul, but I think you should seriously consider his proposal. I know it would be difficult at the beginning, but Erik will help you, he's an amazing young man. I am so happy that he chose you as his wife. He will take care of you... I know he will."

Christine couldn't hide her surprise; this meant that Erik had actually talked to her parents about his intentions. She forced a smile.

"So... he spoke to you about our... our relationship."

Her father used all his power and smiled broadly at her.

"I gave him my blessings, Christine." He stated in content. "I have to admit though, that your engagement didn't surprise me at all."

Christine frowned "Y...You weren't surprised!"

Erwin shook his head and squeezed his daughter's hand lightly.

"There was always something 'bursting' between the two of you, since you were a teenager." He said "For a period I thought that... Never mind... Nathan's accident changed everything, of course."

Christine felt disappointment, her parents still refused to face Nathan's death as suicide. They kept refusing to admit that he was using drugs.

"I am glad that you approve of him." she said, taming her feelings "We'll have dinner together in order to discuss matters about the wedding."

"Yes, he told us there won't be any big celebration." Gladys decided to participate in their talk "And I think that's logical, considering that this is your second marriage. There is no point in being in the same trouble as the first time."

Christine couldn't agree more. The money for her marriage to Raoul was wasted and she found out only a few hours after the ceremony and the celebration how big of a mistake she had made.

She forced another smile and kissed her parents.

"I'd better get going." She straightened her shoulders "Do you need anything?"

"No, darling." Her mother smiled "Erik brought us some books. I have to admit that he'll make the perfect gentleman, your father is right. You are very lucky... there aren't many men who want a woman that someone else had before..."

Christine clenched her fists. If only her mother new the truth about her first wedding...

"I will see you tomorrow." She spat and left.

...

* * *

Christine intently observed the view from the big windows of the Daniels' manor. She had moved to her parents' house two years ago, after Raoul's death.

The doorbell rang exactly at half part eight, but she wasn't ready, she was still wearing her bathrobe and had rollers in her hair.

She swiftly put on her black dress and a pair of stilettos, trying not to panic about being late. Then she put on some make-up-mascara and lipstick before freeing her hair. Her hair fell in waves on her shoulders and she was ready –at least as ready she could be under the circumstances...

...

* * *

Erik checked the time and wondered if he could use the key Erwin had insisted on giving him. But while searching for it, the door opened and Christine stood in front of him, looking like she was ready for the catwalk. Her perfume reached his nostrils and felt an urge to close his eyes but instead he stared at the goddess in front of him.

The tempting shadow between her breasts pulled his gaze like a magnet. Then he looked inside the chocolate depths of her eyes and lost himself, his mouth watered and he turned his gaze to her lips... big mistake... he found himself leaning towards Christine, but her voice rang and put him off his haze.

"Give me a moment to get my purse." She said and walked back inside, leaving the door open. Erik observed her crossing the marble floor on her high-heels and after getting her purse, she turned, raised her chin and walked towards him.

"Let's get this over with." Christine spat and Erik swallowed his urge to talk back to her and make her regret every single word her luscious mouth let out. She undoubtedly wanted to offend him and she would do it at every chance she got. He was going to feel the ultimate bliss while taming her, especially after what Raoul Chaney had done to him at their wedding day. The mask at his right side was the permanent reminder of what Christine was able to do in order to get what she wanted. But this time, everything would be made in his very own way.

He moved first to his car and opened the door for her, closing it after she entered and fastened her seatbelt.

Several minutes of silence passed until Erik spoke.

"Your parents were very positive with _our_ decision to get married... especially your mother. I expected her to faint at the thought of her daughter being engaged to a stranger without a father..."

Christine stared at him coldly.

"Do you have to be so offensive?" she asked "Oh! And by the way... it wasn't exactly 'our' decision to marry... it was _yours_!"

He straightened his shoulders. "There is no point in disagreeing now since everything is settled." He said "I always had, and will always have; unending time for your father, but your mother was always so snob, thinking that a person's quality only exists inside their bank account."

"Yes. And of course your bank account is the only thing that helps you now." Christine spat sadly.

Erik laughed. "My bank account is what helped _you_ and _your_ _family_ just now, angel, so it's not wise to continue insulting me, huh? You may make me take my money back... and then, what are you going to do?"

Christine turned her head and looked outside the window. Erik was right of course. She had to stop offending him; otherwise he could end their agreement. He was able to do that, and with utter pleasure. Erik had the power both to save and crush her... and she had to remember that.

She never thought it was possible to hate someone this much. The blood was pounding inside her veins. He was so arrogant, so sure about himself...

Despite the hard and poor years of his childhood, he was now a billionaire and was using his power in order to control her. But she wouldn't give in without fighting first. He may make her marry him, but they would be married only by name.

Not that she would mention that to him, anyway. This was the ace up her sleeve and she would reveal it after the ceremony. Erik would be at least startled when he found out that his wife was not going to share his bed. She would be a devoted wife only in the presence of others, when the two of them were alone she would the same Christine Daniels who had left the marks of her nails on his forearms the night before her wedding.

...

* * *

Christine walked stiffly next to Erik, tortured by the feather light touch of his hand on her elbow, as he guided her inside the luxurious restaurant. The maitre d' saluted Erik with respect and showed them to their table.

"Have you ever been here before?" Erik questioned; when they sat.

Christine shook her head and focused on the menu "No, I don't really go out anymore." She murmured.

"Were you in any relationships after your husband's death?" Erik asked with typical interest.

Christine continued reading the menu instead of facing his gaze.

"It has only been two years." She stated firmly "I am not in any hurry."

"Do you miss him?"

Christine, startled by his question, closed the menu, put it on the table and looked at him.

"What kind of question is that?" the anger was clear in her voice. "We were married for three years." _Three awful years._ But she couldn't say that. She hadn't even said that to her parents.

She hadn't told it to anyone... Besides, who could see talk to? She didn't have many friends, especially after her marriage. Her very few friends contacted her once in a while with e-mails to find out how she was. Christine knew it was mainly her fault, because she had been covering Raoul the entire time, she didn't want to feel the shame of accepting she was in a failed marriage... she knew she only had herself to blame...

"You didn't have children." Erik broke the silence "Was it your choice or his?"

"It wasn't something we had really discussed," she replied and took the menu again.

Then the waiter came and they ordered their drinks. Christine chose a strong cocktail, mostly because she needed to find courage. It was exactly what she needed that moment: a heavy fog of alcohol in order to survive a night with Erik's company.

"You'd better drink more carefully, Christine" he warned her, as she took a long sip "Drinking with an empty stomach is not wise. You know that alcohol affects people's behaviour. You may find yourself doing things you normally wouldn't do."

Christine looked him straight in the eyes and smirked "You mean like actually enjoying your company instead of despising it?" she asked proudly.

His azure eyes darkened "You'll enjoy many more things than my company before the ink on our marriage certificate dries." He said.

Christine took another long sip from her drink, to hide her discomfort. Suddenly she felt her stomach pounding. The thought of his hands and lips on her body made her feel like taking much more that what she had asked for. She had kept Raoul away from her for years, apart from that distasteful night when he... She drank more of her drink, determined to stop thinking about the humiliation she had felt in the hands of her deceased husband.

"Your face paled." Erik commented "Does the thought of sharing my bed disgust you?"

Christine was content to hold the cocktail glass so she could hide her flashed face behind it, although the alcohol had already turned her brains into a soup. Or perhaps it was Erik's presence that affected her... Anyway, she couldn't trust her voice so she remained silent and just stared at him with ignorance in her eyes.

"The kiss that we shared five years ago showed me that the idea of making love to me was anything but disgusting to you. You craved it, Christine. This was really interesting, considering that the next day you married another man." He said.

"You _made_ me kiss you." Christine whispered.

"The word 'made' is too much, don't you think? Especially since you responded whole-heartedly." Erik smiled and leaned towards Christine, "Not only with your soft lips, but also with your tongue. And if I recall correctly, even your teeth participated at some point. Just the thought of it arouses me."

Christine had never felt so utterly embarrassed. But what was even more annoying, was the thought of Erik's aroused body, especially now that his strong thighs were so close to hers that she could reach with her hand and touch them.

"Your memories have obviously been distorted with time, because it is nearly impossible for me to remember it." she said and flicked her head.

His eyes sparkled "Then perhaps I should refresh your memory a little." He smiled "There will be a lot of opportunities when we start living as a married couple."

Christine had to make a great effort to remain calm, but it was impossible to control the tightness she felt in her stomach out of panic.

"When are you planning to start this ridiculous farce?" she asked, with a faked calmness.

"Our wedding is not going to be a farce." He stated resolutely "It will be real in _every_ aspect."

Christine's eyes widened "Is this one of your morbid habits? Sleeping with someone you hate?"

"You are a beautiful woman, Christine." Erik said "Whether I like you or not is of low importance."

Christine wanted to slap him and shove away this arrogant smirk from his face. She clenched her fists on her thighs and looked at him with sparkling eyes. But the way her body reacted to his sexual promises was annoying. She felt a slight tremble between her thighs, her breasts heavy and her nipples were extremely sensitive inside her dress.

"I am ready to marry you, but that's it." She paused "It is barbaric to expect me to agree to a sexual relationship with you."

"Did you forget something?" Erik interrupted her "Eighteen million pounds is a high price for a bride, and I expect my investment to be worth its money."

Christine held her breath "That's outrageous! I am not your whore!"

"You came to me asking for help, Christine, and I gave it to you. I was clear enough about the terms of our agreement, so there is no point in acting like you are shocked now."

"And what of the woman you dated a month ago?" Christine wondered when she remembered something she had read on a newspaper.

"So, you are interested in my personal life, aren't you baby?" he said cynically.

Christine sent him daggers with her eyes "I don't give a damn about who you're dating, Erik. But make sure that your affairs stay away from the newspapers as long as we are in _that_ short-lived game." She sharply said.

"_Short-lived?_" he chuckled "Who told you that our marriage is going to be 'short-lived'?" he asked with an enigmatic smile "It would be anything but that."

Christine thought that her heart would tear her chest apart and leave. "Wh... What?" she exhaled.

"I always believed that a marriage lasts as long as life." He responded "Someone could say that this is because of my past. MY mother was abandoned by the man she loved while she was pregnant. She never felt secured, she didn't have anyone to help and take care of her... As a result she had to work very hard in order to make sure we had a little food and a few clothes. I swore since I was a kid that when the time comes, I would marry till the end of my days."

"But you don't even like me!" Christine protested. "How could you ever think of bonding us together for the rest of your life?"

"Don't you have mirrors in your house, my angel?" he questioned giving her a fiery look "I don't have to like you in order to _desire_ you. Isn't this what every woman wants? A husband with a restless longing only for her?"

Christine felt like drowning, but hid her panic.

"You are kidding." She stated "I know you are kidding. This is your idea of a sick joke. And let me tell you something: I don't find it entertaining at all!"

"I am _not_ kidding, Christine." He talked back "Love is something overrated... at least that's what _I_ think. People fall in love all the time. But some of the most successful marriages I know were those which were built on the compatibility between the sheets... and believe me, you don't have to be in love with someone in order to have an amazing orgasm with them."

Christine felt her face turning red and was more than grateful that the waiter appeared again.

Listening to Erik speaking about _that_ word... _that _experience... made her hot to no end. She was never pleased with Raoul. The only time they had been together, Raoul left her burning and stinging in pain and shame.

When the waiter left with their orders, she emptied the rest of her cocktail, without paying attention to her spinning head. Not even pure alcohol would affect her more than Erik himself. Her body tingled from sensuality and her mind created an image of Erik crushing her under his weight, with his hot mouth covering hers and his muscled thigh parting her own so that...

She shook her head annoyed by her thoughts. What on earth was she thinking? Erik was _the_ enemy. And she knew exactly what he was doing.

He was marrying her only to take revenge for her behaviour towards him. He knew that this would be torture for her. Why else would he insist in doing anything like that?

Christine had never felt more regret in her life. Why, oh why, did she act like this towards him in the past?

Her older brother, Nathan, was always scolding her for her behaviour, but at one point Nathan's friendship with Erik was an enormous part of the reason why she behaved like that...

Christine _envied_ Erik for getting more of her beloved brother's attention. And when she accidentally found out he was dyslexic, she laughed at him because he wasn't able to read the simplest texts. But for some reason Erik, just like every other time, never spoke to her brother or her parents about her behaviour. He had accepted it stoically and had walked away from her without saying a single word, although Christine was sure that inside him there was a red hot anger boiling.

Christine felt the exact same anger filling Erik as he stared at her frowned. His magnificent eyes talked about a man who had nothing but revenge in his mind.

She had seen how women looked at him. He was very charming with very sharp and smart features and his mask only added more mystery to his dark look.

Suddenly she shivered at the thought of marrying him. He expected a permanent marriage... this automatically meant that there were several matters that should be discussed just like kids...

She was twenty six years old and she would be a great liar if she said that she had never heard her biological clock ticking. As long she was married to Raoul, kids were not something she wanted. She would never have kids in a marriage like Raoul and hers. She hadn't even brought a pet inside her former house because she was afraid Chaney would use it against her in one of his violent outbursts.

"You are very silent, angel." Erik commented "The thought of having an orgasm with me is too hard to cope with?"

Her gaze nailed him to the wall behind him "No, to be honest I don't believe I can orgasm with you... I can't speak on behalf of your other women, but it is impossible for me to do something so personal without having several emotions involved."

He only laughed loudly. "How about hatred?" he asked and took his glass of mineral water. "Isn't this emotion enough to make you move on?"

Christine left her glass on the table and waved to the waiter to refill it.

"Do you think that's wise?" he asked again. "This drink has enough alcohol in it to make everyone's judgement blur."

Christine raised her chin. "When you need emotions to be absent, alcohol is the best." She simple said.

Erik's eyes narrowed "If you really think that I will sleep with you as long as you are intoxicated, then you have to re-think that idea..." he paused "When we sleep together for the first time I want you sober, in order to remember every moment."

"I will never sleep with you, Erik." She said categorically, and after raising her chin even higher she added "In order to earn that privilege you have to pay double."

Erik smiled triumphantly as he moved his hand to look for his chequebook. He lowered it on the table between them and the 'click' sound of his pen made Christine tense.

"Double you said?"

Her stomach had turned to a knot, her mouth was dry and her palms were wet with cold sweat.

" Uhm... I... I am not sure. Th...uhm... don't... Oh my god!" she stuttered.

Erik wrote the amount and signed swiftly, making Christine's eyes pop out.

"Here you are." He said as he put the cheque in front of her. "Do we have another deal now or not?"

* * *

**A/N: so, how was it? just let me know ;)...**


	3. Trapped

A/N: Hello guys :D! Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews :)...

For my anonymous reviewers :) :

**MmeButterfly:** i m glad to have you back :)... hahaha yes, Erik totally got Christine, but let s see how will the little wildcat react... this chapter is going to give an answer to this ;)...

**Thaovyphantran: **i m so glad you liked it :D! Erik is indeed hot and he ll turn even hotter in this chapter ;P... hope you enjoy it :)...  
thanks for reviewing!

**123456: **that he is ;D... no worries, our hunkie will get the girl when the right time comes ^.^...

**Balack88: **your question will be answered partly in this chapter... i can tell that our girl is wilder than what she shows ;D... thanks for reviewing :)...

**actuallyipreferhighwaymen: **i m so glad you enjoyed it so far, hope you like the rest of it too... thank you so much for reviewing!

SO! here is chapter 3...

**Beta: the one and only Ashes Fan ;D!**

**Disclaimer**: I DO NOT OWN PotO or the main plot of the story.

HOPE YOU ENJOY IT! this chapter was really... _interesting_... to write :)...

**

* * *

******

Chapter 3: Trapped...

Christine stared at the cheque in front of her and tried not to flinch, but the shock she had got made her face burn. Shame and anger were what she felt. Anger that was boiling deep inside her and was overflowing, sending waves of rage to her veins.

Erik had made her feel like a 'luxurious' prostitute on purpose... a woman who would do anything for one thing... money. But he couldn't buy her. She had acted foolishly in the past by letting her duty and her narrow mind blur her judgement. However _this_ time things were going to be different...

If Erik Moreau thought he could take her to his bed, threatening her with his bank account, then a big surprise was waiting him.

With utter coldness she took the cheque and began wrapping it up until it turned to a tiny paper. She put it on her palm, looked at it and after making sure Erik was focused on her; she took a glass with red wine in it and threw the little paper inside. She watched silently as the paper sank in the red liquid.

Christine's eyes met Erik's, she challenged him and raised her eyebrow "Cheers!" she smirked and sipped at the wine.

Erik frowned, but his eyes were burning "You may like knowing you made me swallow my offer, but I guarantee that _you_ are going to be the one who will swallow her words in the future... the very near future, angel." He warned her sweetly.

Christine rolled her eyes and took her second cocktail. "I will marry you only to save my family's company, but I will never become your sex-slave, Erik. If you feel the desire of fulfilling your needs, I am sure there is a bunch of women who are going to give you their services. The only thing I am asking you is to be considerate..."

He leaned forward and scrutinised her face for mere seconds "Is this what you had agreed with Chaney?" he questioned "Or did you prefer to take care of his needs _personally_?"

Christine felt her heart stop and all the blood in her body rush to her face "That is not your concern!" she spat angrily "I refuse to discuss my wedding to Raoul... especially with you!"

He stared at her insolently "Did he satisfy you, angel? Did he make you tremble and scream his name? Or perhaps he preferred satisfying you by buying expensive gifts... gifts that women like you are fond of."

Christine's grip on the glass tightened as she fought to control the shame and the anger Erik had caused to her. She had never thought it was possible to hate someone as much as she hated Erik. His smart eyes could see things that she wished for no one to know. He used to do that in the past... and he was doing it now.

She relaxed her shoulders, just like the grip on her glass. "And how about _your_ personal life, Erik?" she questioned smiling "Who was your last 'adventure'? Are you still seeing that model or did she reach her expiry date?"

Erik used his spoon to take the cheque out of the wine before nailing his gaze to Christine's. "Are you taking lessons about becoming a bitch, Chrissie, or is it just your PMS?"

Christine knew she _must not_ do this, but despite examining the consequences with the mature, logical part of her brain, the angry part had already won...

It seemed like it happened in slow motion. The strawberry daiquiri from her glass created a liquid bow and landed on Erik's shirt.

The time didn't only stop... it froze abruptly...

Christine waited silently for Erik's outburst. Her body tightened, the blood was running inside her veins and her heart was pounding. But the only thing Erik did at the end was... smile.

"Is this the best you can do, angel?" he questioned still smiling. "Throwing your drink like a spoiled three-year-old?"

"If you are expecting an apology, then forget it. Because I am not doing it!" Christine said angrily.

Erik took a napkin and dried a little of his now red shirt. "No." He replied with this enigmatic smile of his that angered Christine even more. "I am not expecting you to apologise now. I just cannot wait to _make _you do it later, when we'll be out of the restaurant and alone. And, believe me, angel, it will be really fun doing it."

Christine was now deathly scared. Her stomach turned to a knot. In the past she had faced Raoul's numerous outbursts, but, for some reason, Erik's calmness was even more terrifying... But, still, Erik was always calm and controlled. Even when she laughed at him in the past, he didn't speak; he only stared at her with those mysterious green-blue eyes.

"Is everything alright, Mr Moreau?" the maitre rushed to their table.

"Everything is alright, Thomas." He smiled to the young man "My fiancée had a little accident."

"Oh my god!" Thomas said and tried to make things better "Should I bring another drink for the lady? And allow me to pay for cleaning your shirt, sir."

"No. Don't worry, Thomas." Erik said "We were leaving." He stood up.

Christine didn't know what to do. They hadn't even eaten and she was starving. She hadn't eaten since the day before and the alcohol had already given her an awful headache.

"Leaving!" Thomas was startled "And what about your dinner, sir?"

"I am sorry, Thomas. Could we have our dinner delivered to my house? My fiancée had a difficult day and I believe she has to sleep early."

"Why, of course Mr Moreau." Thomas said and waved to the waiter who was waiting to take orders "Congratulations on your engagement!" he added smiling broadly to Christine. "You are a very lucky woman." He gently said.

"Yes." Christine stated sweetly "I got a big fish." She turned to Erik and smiled "A shark I would say."

Erik caught her forearm and pushed her towards the exit.

...

* * *

"You can let go of my arm now." She spat when they got out of the restaurant.

Erik didn't pay attention; he only started pulling her to the car. "Someone has to teach you some good manners, woman. You acted like a spoiled brat. Not only did you bring trouble to yourself, but also to the restaurant's people... not to mention Thomas who is ready to kill himself in order to please his customers. You should be ashamed."

Christine looked at him angrily while trying to free herself from his grip, but to no avail.

"You started it!" she protested.

"I asked you one thing about your wedding. A simple 'yes' or 'no' would be more than enough."

Her eyes were burning "I don't have to answer any of your stupid questions about my wedding or any of my other relationships!" she said slowly.

"I can tell you one thing, Christine." Erik said and fastened the girl's seatbelt angrily "Once we're married, you won't have any relationships. You are going to be exclusively mine."

Christine straightened her back and fought her tears back. She was really good at hiding her emotions. She had never given Raoul the pleasure of seeing any of her emotional outbursts. The fact that now she was so close to her limits was not only strange but scary too.

She couldn't allow Erik to find out how broken she felt. He would enjoy the power he had over her. And he already had much power over her... a lot more than Raoul Chaney ever had...

...

* * *

They spent the entire time in the car in silence, until they reached Erik's house. Erik opened her door and guided her politely inside the building.

Christine's jaw almost reached the floor... his house was so very warm. It was totally different from what she had imagined.

Her attention was almost immediately caught by a painting which represented a little boy who was sitting on the ground; his gaze was the one of awe. Christine looked at the bottom of the painting but couldn't read the signature.

"Don't you recognise the artist?" Erik asked exactly behind her shoulder.

Christine shivered at their closeness, but looked at him emotionlessly and took a step forwards to create a bigger distance.

"No." She admitted "Should I know him?"

Erik's gaze was nailed on the painting; his lips were set in a grim line. "Probably not." He murmured "He always felt a little uncomfortable about his passion for painting. This is the only painting which survived... he destroyed everything else." He paused for a moment and then added "I believe this is one of his last works... he died you see."

"Oh..." Christine said and turned again to the painting "Was he old?"

"Not really." He whispered.

"Oh... I see." Christine couldn't explain why this painting had captivated her.

A reason was perhaps that while staring at this little boy, she imagined having her very own beloved baby one day. Compared to her friends, she had never wanted a demanding career. For years the only thing she had imagined was holding her baby in her arms and watching it growing, entering its teens, and then become a strong adult.

"We have to discuss several things." Erik stated and waved at her to follow him to the large living room.

Christine looked at the beautifully decorated room.

"It's a beautiful room" she stated and sat on a sofa "Actually the entire house is beautiful. Have you lived here for a long time?"

Erik sat on the other couch and looked at her grinning "Was that a compliment, Ms Christine Daniels?"

Christine raised her chin.

"Chaney." She corrected him, although she hated her husband's name for everything it represented. "My last name is still Chaney."

Erik's eyes sparkled as he looked inside hers.

"But not for a long time." He said "We'll be married shortly and live here as a couple."

Christine stood up panicked.

"I can't see why we should rush things." She began pacing on the thick soft black carpet "What would people think?"

"For god's sake, Christine!" Erik protested "You have been a widow for two years now."

Christine turned to look at him "Yes... but suddenly being a couple with you seems... anyway, it seems... almost improper." She said "People will think that it is a forced marriage or something like that."

Erik approached her as she stood with her hands tightly crossed on her chest. Christine thought of pulling away, but he understood it and put his hands on the wall behind her, one on each side of her head, trapping her with his large frame.

Christine was panicking. She wasn't used to standing so close to him that she could smell his aftershave... or see the stubble on his chin, making her want to feel it on her fingertips. Her eyes for a mere second focused on his mask... so far she was doing a great job in ignoring it but now that he was this close she couldn't help it.

"_What are you hiding, Erik?"_ she wondered and immediately locked eyes with him. She could see the amazing azure of them and she turned away.

"You know, angel." He said in a gentle hoarse voice that made her eyes almost close in bliss "We could do something about that right now."

Christine was speechless and had frozen in her place. His erection was pushing her thigh and reminded her all of those things that were different between them. He was very experienced, whereas she was... not exactly inexperienced but... anyway...  
Her body didn't know how to give and receive pleasure. She was totally inadequate and missed confidence as much as adroitness.

Christine was well aware that Erik felt a sexual attraction towards her. If she wanted to be honest with herself, she had known since she was a teenager. She felt it every time they were in the same room.

"So, what do you think angel?" Erik said hotly and pushed provocatively, invitingly his thigh between hers making her shiver. "We could have a baby right now and then it would be a real forced marriage."

Her stomach had tightened. Her feet were trembling this much that she didn't know how on earth she could still stand upright. Her heart was beating fast, making her feel dizzy. Her mind was filled with pictures of his body conquering hers, filling her with his power as they created a new life together.

She finally found her voice "I... I am not interesting in... in having kids." She stated "At least not with you."

"I have paid too much money for you, Christine. A marriage without children is unacceptable for me. I want my investment to be worth every... single... penny."

Christine shoved him away, pushing both hands on his firm chest. "Then you bought the wrong woman." She spat with rage "Wanting a permanent marriage is simply sick, but also wanting kids is totally hilarious."

"I never said anything to make you believe that this marriage was not going to be real." Erik told her. "Eighteen million pounds is not a little bit of money, Christine. A divorce could prove to be even more costly... but you are going to sign a contract stating that _if_ our marriage does not succeed, you will receive only a small amount of money... just for your manicure and your hairdresser."

Christine's anger was over her limits. Her whole body was ready to explode. She wanted to hit him with her fists. She wanted to skin his face and make him feel a little of the pain _she_ was feeling.

She wasn't the little immature, spoiled teenager who only paid attention in her looks anymore.

She had changed... She had changed very much, especially after Nathan's death.

Thoughts of her brother always made her stomach tighten with guilt. Had she known he was taking drugs; she could have helped him before it was too late. But he had preferred to face death instead of his family's disappointment and Christine always condemned herself about that.

Erik saw the pain in her face and felt her hands that were clutching his forearms relax, he moved away slowly, freeing her and brushing her palm with his fingertips softly.

Christine moved slowly... silently and sat on the couch again, putting her trembling hands on her also trembling thighs, trying not to show how close to collapsing she was. Undoubtedly Erik would enjoy that...

She was trapped...

Erik now had the power and he would use it in any way he wanted. He had insisted on a marriage, but not a marriage without sex as she had foolishly thought. Erik had played with her and he was keeping his cards hidden until it was too late for her so that she could do nothing but agree to whatever he asked...

It _was _too late...

She would become Erik Moreau's wife. The only problem was that he didn't know what kind of wife he had bought. He had paid so much money and she would prove to be an utter disappointment...

She was sure about that with a certainty that tore her heart apart...

* * *

**A/N: so, how was it? just let me know :)...**


	4. Dizziness

A/N: Hey guys :D! Hope everyone is fine :D, if not then things can certainly get better, just think positive +++... (what happened to me? *looks confused* xDxDxD)  
anyways xP... HUGE thanks to everyone who reviewed ;D, you are making my day :D!

For my amazing anonymous reviewers ;D :

**Thaovyphantran:** hahahaha... honestly, i have no idea how Christine can resist him xDxDxD...  
aaaaw... that was one of the best things i ve ever read in a review =)... thank you so so much :)!

**Balack88:** xD thank you so much ;)! here s more of your "sexyhotsensual Erik" xP...

**summercay:** thanks for reviewing :)... i hope you ll enjoy the rest of the story too :)...

**Phantomforever:** aaaaw... thank you so much, your reviews made me smile, i feel really flattered that you like the plot and moreover the way it is written :)... i only hope that the rest of the story won t fail your expectations...

**ABC:** thank you so much for reviewing :)! I can ensure you that the mysteries will start unfolding really soon ;)...

**actuallyipreferhighwaymen:** hahahaha... ok, your wish is my command :P xDxDxD...

**MarcoHietala'sAngel:** oho! one of my most favourite reviewers is BACK! YAY! welcome to my new story ;)!  
yes, you re right, Christine is very stubborn and Erik is so hot in this phic ;D, now... about how she resists Erik i have no idea xDxDxD...  
thank you so much for your wonderful reviews :D!

**JacobLuver226:** i m so sorry i didn t update on your birthday :(, but i had to get prepared for a really long trip (more than 10 hours)... and now that i reached my destination i rushed to update ;)... i hope you enjoy this chapter :)...

**123456:** okay okay... here s the rest xDxDxD...

SO! here is chapter 4...

**Beta: the PHANTASTIC Ashes Fan ;D!**

**Disclaimer**: I DO NOT OWN PotO or the main plot of the story.

HOPE YOU ENJOY IT! and permit me to...** DEDICATE THIS CHAPTER TO JacobLuver226! HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY :D:D:D!**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 4: Dizziness...**

Erik was still leaning against the couch, silently observing the thousands of different emotions that crossed Christine's face. He was used to seeing anger and nervousness, even the tears which flooded her eyes were something common to him. But he would not waste his time wondering whether these tears were real or not.

She was a little bitch. He had suffered by her hand numerous times in the past, and now she was going to pay for everything. Christine would become his wife and not only by name.

He could wait...

He had waited five long years. Waiting a little more would probably give him more satisfaction when he finally conquered her body.

Erik had been nearly speechless at her beauty when he had first laid eyes on her. He had watched her bloom from a shy, unnerved bud to an extravagant rose.

At her seventeenth, only one step before her adulthood, she was already a beautiful woman, with her big chocolate eyes and her curly hair... her cherry lips, soft and full of sensual promises. Her teasing smile and her provocative appearance tortured him every day and took his sleep at nightime. Although his desire for Christine was painful, he knew that he needed a miracle back then; in order to make her his...

Christine Daniels wasn't part of his class. Erik knew it but he never really accepted it.

Christine's parents, and especially her mother, had clearly showed him that he was not the one for their daughter. It was clear to Erik that Christine's future belonged to Raoul Chaney, a young lawyer coming from a family of well-known lawyers.

However, what made Erik feel even sicker was the fact that he had never believed Christine was really in love with Chaney, and their kiss, the way she had responded to him the night before her wedding only proved him right.

_She moulded her body to his, half opening her soft lips under the pressure of his. Her tongue entered his mouth to taste him, torture him and fight with his in an explosion of passion._

_That kiss left them both panting. Erik's hands covered her breasts and followed their shape with adoration, enjoying their softness. And she did nothing to stop him; she only cooed and purred in pleasure with every touch of his hands, lips and tongue._

_Christine's hands drew a hot path on his chest and down to his groin... she covered his burning erection, caressing him slowly and grinding herself on him until he felt ready to explode. He would push her onto the wall behind her and make her; his if they had not heard Chaney's voice coming from the staircase._

"_Christine? Are you upstairs? I have to go. I'm sorry, baby, but I have several things to take care of before the ceremony."_

_Erik pushed her almost violently off of him, and put his hands through his hair; hoping he could fix it after the way she had run her fingers through it at her feverish response. He was panting, his heart was pounding and his body was in pain from the unfulfilled desire._

_Christine, on the other hand, as the excellent liar and actress that she was, slowly turned towards the staircase and fixed her dress. She smiled sweetly at her fiancé, her face hiding every sign of what had been happening only seconds before perfectly. Her gaze was clear, her voice soft and calm._

"_You are leaving already?" she asked, adding the perfect amount of disappointment to her voice. "But you have just arrived. You missed the rehearsal and everything."_

_Raoul leaned in and pecked her softly on her swollen lips. "I know it, sweetheart, but I will make it up to you on our honeymoon trip, I promise. It's almost midnight anyway, isn't it bad luck for the groom to see his bride before the wedding?" _

_Erik left them, feeling his stomach burning._

"_Oh! Are you leaving now too, Moreau?" Raoul questioned "Undoubtedly, you have many things to do, like... help your mother shine the silver cutlery."_

_Erik forced a smile "You would really be amazed with how blackened many of the Daniels' silver spoons are." He said and after nailing Christine with a caustic glare he left for good._

...

* * *

Christine raised her head after the long time of silence and felt her heart wavering as she met Erik's piercing gaze with her own. "You are facing this whole thing very seriously, aren't you?" she asked swiftly "But why, Erik? You're rich now. You did great in your life. Why do you insist on marrying me?"

He moved away from the sofa until he was towering over her, and she had to stretch her neck in order to look at him. "You still don't get it, do you, Chrissie?" he commented, his hot eyes never leaving hers. "I do not want any other woman..." he paused "I do not want any other woman after _that _night, when I could have made you mine against the wall. You wanted it as much as I did, so don't even try to offend my intelligence by denying it."

Shame made Christine stand upright abruptly with her eyes blazing in rage. "That is an awful lie! You took advantage of me!" she spat, knowing that it wasn't the truth "You were always 'eating' me with your eyes. You did it every time you visited your mother at our house."

Erik's lips curved upwards in a mischievous smirk "Is that how _you_ want to remember it, Christine?" he questioned "But _I_ seem to recall it slightly differently. You enjoyed flirting with me and teasing me, taking advantage of every chance you got. You waved in front of me what I could never have, like torturing a starving dog with a bone. Do you remember all those hot evenings next to the pool? I knew what you were planning. You wanted me to raise my hand and touch you, so that later you could go crying to your _daddy_ and ask him to send away my mother and me." Christine clenched her fists as she observed Erik angrily condemning her. "That was your game, wasn't it? You didn't even want your brother to spend time with me. You were jealous that he preferred my company more than yours."

Christine's face was on fire as she recalled all those things. Yes, she had been jealous of Nathan and Erik's friendship, but there was so much more to it than that. Since the moment Erik had reached the Daniels' mansion, she had felt uncomfortable in a way she failed to describe. She had just turned fourteen and Erik, although he was only six years older than her, had never done anything to make her feel like she was in danger with him. He had been usually closed in on himself, keeping his eyes lowered while doing all the jobs her parents asked him to do for them.

Only when she was in her late teens, she began to realise what she was feeling each time their gazes met. This feeling was totally new to her; no one had ever made her feel like this before, not even Raoul, although everyone knew that they would marry one day.

Looking inside Erik Moreau's magnificent eyes was like looking at a flame's centre. The heat was mirrored back to her eyes, burning them and making her turn away.

"For god's sake, Erik! How old was I? Fifteen? Sixteen?" she said in an effort to correct the past's mistakes "You can't still be angry about that!"

He only laughed hoarsely "My mother was right about you..." he said and narrowed his eyes "She always said that you would sell your soul to the man who could offer you the most and could fit your lifestyle the best. Raoul Chaney; was the son of a well-known and rich lawyer and wanted to be part of your father's company. You were only a little beautiful bonus that was given to him."

Christine clenched and unclenched her teeth... her eyes were spitting fire and her entire body was trembling. "What you are saying is awful and utterly offensive." She inhaled "Raoul's mother was my mother's best friend. Everyone expected Raoul and me to get married. We practically grew up together" she stopped and then added, perhaps not as resolutely as she wanted "It is... _was_ what we both wanted."

Erik smiled cynically "Did he deserve the money, Christine?" he asked "Were you a faithful, loyal wife?"

She couldn't watch his face. It was like facing every mistake she had ever made. How hadn't she realised what kind of person Raoul was? How had she been so blind? She had no excuse. Raoul wasn't a person she hadn't known... She had known him all her life. But still there were things she had only learned about him when it was _too_ late.

Christine turned her back to Erik's rough expression. But her movement was overly abrupt and she felt dizzy... her hands were sweating as she tried to keep her balance. Her hand remained in the air as she tried to catch the closest object to her, and then she started collapsing slowly... Her knees bent, her head was spinning and her eyes rolled back in her head.

"Christine?" Erik kneeled, catching her in his arms, before her head hit the marble floor.

Christine made a soft sound that seemed like a moan. But this meant she was still conscious. She was like a lifeless doll, a beautiful porcelain doll. At the beginning Erik thought she was acting, the scene seemed ideal, but as he put his strong hand on her forehead, he found out she was sweating. _This_ made him wonder what he had judged wrong. Yes, she had been extremely stressed lately, with her father's health, the problems with the company... however, the 'Christine' he knew would act till the very end.

"Are you okay?" he asked and frowned in concern, despite his thoughts.

"Wh...What happened?" Christine opened her eyes and tried to focus.

"You obviously fainted." Erik said and continued cradling her tenderly in his arms. She was lighter than he thought, soft and feminine, and her scent was tempting and was tickling his nostrils and made him want to inhale as much as he could.

Christine moaned again and turned her face away from him.

"I think I'm going to puke."

Erik hesitated for a moment, but he raised her fully in his arms and went to the closest bathroom, holding her over the sink. His brow wrinkled in concern as he watched her little body convulsing with every torturous effort.

"Are you finished?" he asked softly after a little while.

Christine grabbed the sink, her head still bent. "Please... leave me alone for a minute..." she said hoarsely "I am not used to having an audience in moments like these."

"No..." he stated and moved his body closer to hers and caught her elbows softly with his warm hands "I won't leave you before making sure you are okay... I don't want you to faint again..." he lowered his head until his forehead touched the nape of her neck, the porcelain of his mask made Christine shiver but not as much as Erik's breath on her naked back. "You scared me so much..." he whispered and exhaled slowly.

Erik suddenly saw Christine's hands clutching hard at the sink; making her small knuckles turn white. He immediately moved his hands from her elbows and covered hers, bending his body over hers protectively, and began slowly massaging her stiff little fists.

Christine felt so secure with his arms around her and his soothing touch only calmed her more, and if another wave of nausea hadn't struck her, she would have actually smiled. Erik saw her closing her eyes once again... he had to move fast. He took a towel; he put it under the tap and after raising Christine's curtain of hair he tenderly caressed the nape of her neck with the wet cloth, exactly as his mother had done when he was small.

Finally, Christine washed her mouth and face and pulled away from the sink and from Erik's arms. She took the wet towel from his hands and covered her face, feeling Erik's hand drawing little calming circles on her back.

"No more daiquiris for you, my lady." He said in a teasing tone "Obviously they do not agree with you."

Christine pressed her temples with her fingers. "Perhaps you are right." She stated and turned to face him, her body feeling too weak to stand without the touch of his warm hand on her back. "Would you mind if I went home now? It was one difficult day..." she sighed "Actually, it was a difficult week..."

His gaze captured hers for just one moment.

"Christine..." he began "Your father will make it. People have heart operations all the time."

Christine bit her lower lip "I know, it's just... my father counts on me, I don't want to disappoint him. I cannot let him know about the problems with the bank."

Erik put his hands on her shoulders. "The Daniels' resort is safe." He ensured her, tightening his grasp slightly "When we get married, I want us to go and check how the things are going over there. People will expect us to go on a honeymoon trip; _this_ will be the perfect excuse to do both."

He felt her stiffen under his hands "I don't want to be so far away from my parents at this time." She admitted and kept avoiding his eyes.

"Christine, you have to live your life. It's your mother's responsibility to take care of your father, not yours. You have already done many things. To be totally honest, I believe you have done too many things."

"I don't want to go on a honeymoon trip with you, Erik." She raised the tone of her voice and her eyes threw daggers at him "How many more times do I have to tell you? I will not sleep with you!"

Erik closed his eyes and exhaled slowly in an effort to remain patient "You know what?" he said "Even though I would really like it a lot, I am not going to throw you onto the closest surface and rape you, Christine. I understand that you will need time to get used to the idea of our wedding and I am going to give you the time you need... a logical time of course."

Christine raised her eyebrow mockingly "Oh really?" she questioned "And how much time sounds logical to you? Two days? A week? Two weeks?"

He nailed her with his gaze.

Christine pushed him away and walked towards the bathroom door with a frown marring her beautiful face "Do you have any idea what a real marriage is? You never met your father, you have no idea how a marriage works."

"You had been married for three years." Erik stated coldly and put his hand on the bathroom's door and blocked Christine's exit. "Why don't _you_ explain it to me?"

Christine felt like he had punched her on her chest, on the place where she hurt the most, on the place where all her disappointment and guilt had been hiding. She had to fight to prevent herself from doubling over in pain. She could not take it, but only the power of her will kept her standing.

She _wouldn't_ break in front of him.

His goal was to take revenge, but she wouldn't give in, and moreover not with her dignity and pride crushed. _That_ was what he wanted... He wanted her to kneel in front of him and apologise for the rest of her life, but she would never allow this...

She wouldn't do it... not without fighting...

"I can tell you, Erik; that a marriage needs much more work than a few promises said in front of a priest." She said "What you are asking for is a commitment that no one can really guarantee, let alone when love is absent. I think that your only incentive is revenge."

He gave her a half smile "You don't expect me to love you, Christine, do you?"

Feeling hurt, Christine closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again she saw the same hostility mirrored in his eyes. It startled her how shattered she felt by finding out that this hostility would never subside. He would always look at her with hatred in his eyes and revenge in his blood.

"No..." she said breathlessly "I don't expect you to love me."

Erik walked next to her. "Have a shower and I will find you something to wear. You will sleep here tonight." he bit his bottom lip "I won't let you alone. You can stay here with me." _I want you to stay here with me_, he thought "There are clean towels on the shelf."

Christine steadied herself once again by grabbing the sink. "I don't need a shower... and I won't sleep in _this_ house with..."

Erik ignored her and put a bottle of shower gel in her trembling hands and turned the tap on.

"Have the damn shower now! Before I change my mind and decide to keep you company." He smiled sweetly.

Christine gave him a murderous look "Has anyone told you that you are a bone-headed beast?"

He put his hands on his hips and stared at her strictly "Get in the shower, Christine. You are wasting water."

Christine entered the shower basin, fully clothed and without thinking she took the shower in her hand and turned it on Erik.

Everything was covered with water, the walls, the floor, but most of all Erik's face and body. Erik abruptly covered his mask with his right hand and after making sure it was still in place, he grabbed the shower from Christine's hands effortlessly.

"Watch out, wildcat!" he warned her and entered the basin, throwing hot water on her.

"Stop it!" she shrieked as the water's hot needles burned her face. "I am still dressed you fool!"

"Of course you are." He stated simply and turned off the tap. "But I am clothed too, look what you did to my clothes!"

Christine remained in the basin dripping and fought the urge to either grab the shower again and ruin his clothes even more, or pull his wet head downwards and cover his soft lips with hers _'What was that!'_ she scolded herself.

'_How did the atmosphere change so fast?'_ She wondered. The air thickened from the sexual intensity and inside the silence the water's drops sounded like gunshots.

Christine pulled her hair away from her face "I can't believe that you want me to pay for your clothes right now too, huh?" she said because she just _had to_ break that sensual moment.

"No..." Erik replied and focused on the droplets coming off of her lips and chin. "I was thinking of you paying the damage in an entirely different currency."

Christine licked her lips nervously in an effort to control her thudding heart "I... I am not sure what you mean..." she whispered and walked backwards until she felt the cold marble of the wall on her back and when Erik came closer she realised that his wet shirt and pants were touching her wet black dress.

She had never thought about how thin the fabric of her dress was before... She could feel his belt buckle pressing against her belly, and not only the buckle, but also his erection. He was rock hard and so close to her aching feminine bud that she couldn't breathe.

"How about that, Christine?" he asked her in a low sexy voice. "How about getting naked and finish this in the right way? This is the game you want to play, isn't it? It is exactly the same game you enjoyed playing in the past. _Let's tease Erik till he starts acting like an animal._ Isn't this what you want?"

Christine was shocked by how much she wanted to accept his 'invitation'. She wanted to tear his shirt off, to reveal his broad chest and take his flat nipples into her mouth. She wanted to unbuckle his belt and caress his hard shaft in order to fill his blood's power enclosed in his erection. She wanted him to push her onto the wall, to caress her heavy breasts and put his warm tongue on her nipples until every logical thought in her head vanished.

But that was the problem. Her thoughts were reminding her every passing second how little she knew about seduction. She was a beginner at sex... her husband had found her body repulsive and sought other women's company.

"Christine?" Erik captured her chin between his index finger and his thumb and raised her face. Immediately he frowned "Are you cold? I do apologise..." he said guiltily "I didn't realise how much you tremble. Here... I will turn on the hot water."

Christine was indeed trembling, but it had nothing to do with the cold...

"N...No, I... I am not cold." She whispered and pulled her face away from his intense gaze "But I would like to stay al... alone for a while."

"As you wish." Erik complied and left the shower basin "I will bring you something to wear."

After a few minutes he returned holding one of his tracksuits and waited outside for her to finish. When the water was turned off, Erik heard her sniffing softly... like she had been crying. He felt a hard pain in his heart, but he ignored it, crying was one of Christine's strong weapons. She used it in order to make whatever she wished come true.

Erik couldn't even count how many times she had fooled him in the past with her fake tears. But now he wasn't a foolish teenager...

...

* * *

When Christine finally exited the bathroom wearing the large clothes Erik had given her, she didn't look sad at all... any kind of sign on her face was absent.

Erik had to admit that she looked like a small child in his tracksuit. She had rolled the sleeves and the legs up and her hair was wet and was falling free on her shoulders.

"_She looks so tiny and vulnerable..."_ he thought, but immediately shoved the thought away. It wasn't the right moment to start softening. They had signed a contract and he was going to make sure that Christine would fulfil her part.

"Perhaps, I should drive you home." He spat "Since your father's operation takes place tomorrow morning. Let's get over _that_ obstacle before we move on to another one."

Christine sighed in relief.

"Thank you, Erik." Her voice was barely audible "All these things are a terrible shock for me..."

Erik craved to ask her what she was talking about... about _their_ marriage? About her father's health? But he decided to remain silent; after all he _knew_ the answer to this question.

Christine Daniels would face her father's health coolly, but marrying the illegitimate son of one of her family's maids was a totally different thing...

* * *

**A/N: so, how was it? just let me know ^.^...**


	5. Unexpected truths

A/N: Hello everyone :D! I want to thank all of you who reviewed, you are wonderful, guys :)! It s really great to know that you enjoy my story :)!

For my anonymous reviewers :D :

**Phantomforever:** hahaha… thank you so so much :D! i m so glad you liked it :)…

**ABC:** aaaaw… thank you :)… i hope you enjoy the rest of the story too :)…

**MarcoHietala'sAngel:** i totally agree with you ;D! Christine has to use her brain less, but, on the other hand, that brain of hers leads her to interesting situations, don t you think ;)? thank you so much for reviewing :D!

**Thaovyphantran:** hahaha… yeah, i wanted to try something new ;) and i made Erik give Christine a pet name ;P… hmmm… i have to admit i hadn t thought of giving Erik a pet name too, but it ll actually be a good idea ;), you know, Christine paying him back ;P…  
thank you so much for your wonderful review and for giving me a new idea :)!

**gerardsfan:** thanks for your kind words :D, your review gave me a wide smile :D!  
patience, my friend ;)... you ll find out about those secrets in the next chapters... now let s find out what other secrets are revealed in this chapter... hope you like it!

**JacobLuver226:** hahaha... you re very welcome :D! I m so happy that you liked it :)...  
thanks for reviewing :)!

**MmeButterfly:** thanks a lot :)... here s the next chapter ;D...

**123456:** thank you very much :D!

**Kuroneko388:** thank you so much for all of your reviews :)! I have to say that the "Christine's attitude has gotta go. She acts too much like Carlotta possessed her or something" totally cracked me up xDxDxD... i m so glad you liked "Judging by the Cover" and i hope you ll like "Passion and Vengeance" just as much :)...

**Balack88:** hahahaha... thank you so much, but i really cannot help but wondering :)... hope you enjoy the rest of it too :)!

SO! here is chapter 5...

**Beta: my very good friend and amazing supporter Ashes Fan :D! thank you for everything hun :)!**

**Disclaimer**: I DO NOT OWN PotO or the main plot of the story.

HOPE YOU ENJOY IT!

* * *

**Chapter 5: Unexpected truths...**

Christine was chewing her nails as she waited with her mother for news about her father's condition. But the waiting was long since the whole procedure lasted approximately three to four hours. The doctors had to take veins from her father's tibia and put them in his heart as valves.

Finally, the doctor exited the operation room with good news. Everything had gone perfectly fine and Erwin was sobering-up.

"When can we see him?" Christine asked.

"As soon as we move him to the intensive care unit we shall let you know." The cardiologist said. "Try not to be shocked by the sight of so many wires and instruments on his body, I ensure you that they look more frightening than what they truly are." She smiled "With the correct changes in his way of life, Mr Daniels will recover very soon. The most important thing is to avoid stress as much as possible." The doctor saluted them and left.

Christine couldn't have heard truer words than that. The pre-marriage agreement she had signed in the morning would be totally worth it. She was engaged to marry Erik Moreau with a simple marriage ceremony. Later that same day they would leave for a quick honeymoon trip at the Daniels' island, where the resort was.

She tried to stop thinking of her impending marriage and felt almost 'happy' that instead of _that_ she had her father to worry about instead. She wondered how she could support her mother at that moment... Her mother who went crazy if her fingernail broke or if the white roots of her hair showed, let alone with something like that.

Gladys' reaction to Nathan's death was one of the reasons why she has agreed to marrying Raoul Chaney, even though she'd had doubts about him for several months. Raoul had ensured her that a big wedding would be the only thing that would cheer Gladys up and make her leave both her bed and the strong anti-depressants her doctors had given her.

Christine's love for her mother had, more or less, sealed her own fate. She was so drowned in her parents' sadness that she had ignored her own and as a result she spent three awful years at Chaney's side.

Now she was doing it again. She was marrying a man she didn't love in order to take care of the ones she loved with her whole heart.

However, for some reason she had a feeling that Erik wouldn't be like Raoul. Perhaps this was the reason why she felt so anxious. Erik was a mystery to her and she found it interesting. She didn't know him, because he didn't want her to know him.

She was pretty sure though that he would never raise his hand to hit her. Only god knew how many reasons he'd had to do it in the past, but he had never touched her, in any way –apart from that kiss, of course. She had always secretly admired him for his self control, since she had behaved awfully with him. Another guy would have sought revenge in the past, but Erik waited five years...

Christine shivered and turned her attention again to her mother, who was crying and kept a wrinkled tissue in front of her nose.

"Everything is alright, mum." she smiled softly "You heard what the doctor said. Dad will be perfectly fine."

Gladys Daniels blew her nose "I know it, sweetheart, I just wish that Nathan could be here." She said "With your dad not able to work at the company, what is going to happen? Your father never tells me what goes on. Are you sure everything is okay? You have not said anything for quite some time and I cannot help but worry that... we could lose everything... If we were to lose the house... Oh my god, I just could not bear it."

"Mum, stop worrying!" Christine scolded Gladys and hugged her in order to prevent her from seeing the lies in her eyes. "Everything at the resort works perfectly. I spoke with the Gary's yesterday. Everything is safe..."

"I am so happy." Gladys exhaled and pulled away from her daughter's arms "I am also really happy that you are marrying Erik. I want you to know it, Christine."

Christine met her mother's eyes. "I always thought that you never liked him, mum." she stated, trying not to frown. "You always gave the impression that Erik and his mother were below your class."

Gladys winced at her daughter's words. "I know... It seems so... awfully hypocritical." She said "But I guess that is because I was ashamed of my own history."

Christine frowned this time "Whatever do you mean?"

Her mother blew her nose again and faced her bravely. "Your father, my sweet, married me against his parents will. We never spoke about this to either you or Nathan; and I thank god that your grandparents never mentioned anything as long as they lived. But I was at the wrong side of the road, if you can understand what I mean."

Christine couldn't believe her ears. She stood silent and stared at her mother... her mother with the perfect hair, manicure, and pedicure and the... posh... way of speaking and she wondered if she knew her at all.

"Erik's mother reminded me of my own mother." Gladys explained. "She was not married and was at the mercy of whoever hired her. Throughout my childhood we moved from place to place, so consequently I never had any friends and left school at a very young age. After that; I relied on my appearance in order to get what I wanted. I met your father at a party where I was a... waitress. There I also met Petra, Raoul's mother. Her parents were the restaurant's owners. She was so good to me and we became close friends... The rest, as they say, is history."

Christine swallowed "But you really loved dad when you married him, didn't you?" She held her breath.

Gladys sighed. "No... I did not love him in the beginning." She confessed "I was pregnant with your brother. I was immature and acted foolishly; I did not count on the risks when we started dating. Your father insisted on marrying me, and that is what we did in the end..."

Christine didn't mouth a single word. Her voice was locked deep inside her throat.

Her mother turned her red eyes once again to hers. "But as the time passed I grew to love him. I do not have to tell you what a good person he is, Christine. For me he is all that I have now, apart from you of course. I only wish Nathan had not..." she breathed in slowly and continued "I only want your happiness, Christine. Petra, Raoul's mother, wishes the same. We talked last night. Her husband and she have only the best things to say for you. You were a very good wife for their son." She started crying again and buried her face in another tissue.

Christine felt nauseous. Guilt filled her and made her already fragile self control shatter. Raoul's parents; just like her own, had never learnt the entire story. How could she tell them what happened behind closed doors? How could she destroy so many lives by telling the outrageous truth?

She had felt so alone...

She _still_ felt alone... very alone...

Did anyone understand how it felt to carry something so heavy –guilt, sadness, shame- on their shoulders?

Would her life always be marked by the dark spots of her mistakes? How could she clean her soul's blackboard and start again? Would that ever be possible?

Christine saw the new wave of tears that filled her mother's eyes and pulled her close to her body. "Don't cry, mum." She murmured. "Everything will be fine. I know it will. Erik and I will take care of everything."

Gladys dried her eyes and looked inside her daughter's eyes. "Do you love him, my sweet?"

Christine felt her heart sink. How could she lie to her mother? Hadn't she already lied enough to her? "Eeer... mum..." she stuttered and turned her eyes away "What kind of question is this? Why on Earth would I marry him if..." she paused "...if I didn't lo..."she realise what she almost said and paused again "...if I didn't feel... like this... for him?"

Her mother smiled weakly and caught her wrists and squeezed them warmly. "Then you will be a better wife to him than what I was to your father those first years of our marriage." she said "At least you are not marrying Erik because you feel like you _have to_ do it. You are marrying him because you love him and you cannot imagine your life with anyone else, except for Raoul of course. You were soul mates... everyone knows it... but life sometimes has other plans, but they are good too, don't you think?"

Christine forced a smile "Of course." She stated "That's exactly what I think."

...

* * *

Christine finally returned to the Daniels Manor and after several minutes; Erik arrived too. As she was looking at his tall form through the security camera, she wondered if he had parked somewhere close to the house and waited for her to return.

_At late noon he had come to the hospital but didn't stay too long. He stayed long enough to kiss her on the lips –a soft pressure of his warm sensual flesh on her trembling mouth- before he turned and smiled at Gladys. Christine listened to him talking about her father's condition, feeling her heart thundering as she put her tongue exactly on the place where his mouth was only moments ago. She had felt his taste, coffee, mint and a strong dose of hot, sexy male._

_Her stomach had shivered a little as he stood next to her with his arm around her waist in a possessive and strangely protective manner. Not able to resist, she moved even closer to him, he felt so tall and strong like a fortress._

_Suddenly, she realised that her mother had left them again to go to Erwin's side. Feeling Erik's hand slowly descending from her waist, she made her face appear empty in order to prevent him from finding out how much his touch was affecting her._

"_Do you think that this kiss was important?" she disappointedly questioned, avoiding looking at his sensual mouth, focusing on his beautiful eyes instead._

_Erik looked at her happily "To be totally honest, I wanted to slip my tongue inside your mouth, but I thought that your mother would probably feel uncomfortable with my blatant indication of affection."_

_Christine raised her eyebrows "Affection?" she ironically questioned "Is that what you call it? It is animalistic attraction and you damn well know it." She inhaled deeply and continued "And it is utterly disgusting."_

_He only smiled slowly and softly touched her cheek with the back of his hand; making every nerve in her body tremble. "Ah, but you can feel it too, can't you, my sweet?" he said "And we will do something about it very soon, huh?"_

_Christine gave him a wild look although she was trying to stop her thudding heart from leaving her chest. "Not if I can avoid it." She said smirking and crossed her arms in front of her chest._

_However, Erik's smile only grew even wider and, giving her a soft kiss on her forehead before she had the time to react. "Continue feeding your wild passion." He told her in a soft sexy voice "The thought of fighting me in every step, although you want what I want too, only arouses me. It's what you always wanted."_

"_I want you to burn in hell." Christine spat._

_He only winked and without another word he turned and moved away._

_Christine stood and observed him annoyed with herself. The lift's doors opened and she saw Erik smiling when two nurses abruptly turned their heads when they spotted him. The doors closed silently behind him and the two nurses moved into the hallway._

"_Wasn't that guy Erik Moreau?" the brunette asked her redhead colleague as they approached Christine._

"_Yes, I am sure that he was Erik Moreau" the redhead replied "I heard that he just got engaged. His future father in law is in this hospital. I wonder how much time the marriage is going to last. Erik Moreau likes games... that's what the rumours say."_

_Christine disgustedly turned her back to them and entered the closest restroom until she couldn't hear the nurses' voices anymore._

"_And now I have to face my nemesis again..."_ she bitterly thought as she unlocked the Manor's doors in order to let Erik in. She moved swiftly aside, just in case he wanted to repeat their kiss.

"Why are you here?" She simply asked.

Erik put his hand into the inner pocket of his suit and gave her a little black velvet box. "This is for you..." he enigmatically said "If you don't like it, you can change it. It means nothing to me."

Christine took the little box with an unsteady hand, trying desperately to avoid his fingers touch. However, one of her fingers touched his and the contact burned her. She opened the box and stared at the diamond ring. The jewel's sparkle was magical.

She lifted her eyes and looked at him. "It's... it's nice... It must have cost you a fortune." She mentioned in a slightly hoarse voice.

He looked at her evilly "Not, as much as your debt to the bank, but surely much."

Christine pursed her lips and looked at the diamond again; wondering how much money he had paid in order to make her his wife. Even though she had grown up inside a rich house it was impossible to believe that Erik was willing to do anything in order to marry her.

This made her realise once more how difficult it would be to back off. She'd already had one miserable marriage, a marriage that every day was a torture of secrets, lies and unfaithfulness. How was she supposed to face Erik's affairs? It was clear to her that he would continue his love affairs even after their wedding.

"Of course, firstly you have to remove Chaney's ring."Erik said breaking the silence.

Christine stared at the diamond ring and the wedding band on her left hand... the rings that she had desperately craved to get rid of for the past two years after Raoul's death, but she had felt unable to face her parents' comments.

"Yes...yes... of course." She whispered and began pulling them off.

Erik took the velvet box and put it on a table and held her hand gently. "Allow me..." he said.

Holding her left hand inside his strong one he first pulled off the ring and then the wedding band, never moving his eyes from Christine's startled face.

Christine felt her pulse grow faster. She felt her body burning. She swallowed as Erik took the ring he had bought and slipped it softly on her finger, making her breath stop instantly.

"It fits perfectly." He stated and smiled gently "What do you have to say about this?"

Christine couldn't explain her confused feelings.

"What about this?" she repeated his question pointing at her finger and rolled her eyes. "You were simply lucky." She continued and tsked.

For a moment his azure eyes darkened. "Will you invite me in to have a drink with you in order to celebrate our future wedding?" he questioned. "If yes, I think I can start removing my shirt just in case you decide to throw another glass' content on me again."

Christine's mouth turned into a straight line "I promise not to throw anything on you, only if you promise that you'll keep your offending comments to yourself." She replied, lifting her chin.

"I'm wondering which comments you are referring to?" he asked with a smirk and followed her.

Christine moved to the grand living room. "What would you like to drink?" she spoke to Erik over her shoulder.

"I think you are well aware of what I want, angel." He replied as he moved closer to her.

Christine held her breath as he put his hands on her shoulders. His warm touch was like a mark made by a roasting rod. Feeling him behind her back, she wondered how it would feel to lean against his strong body and feel it on her own soft one, to feel his hands descending slowly from her shoulders and cover her breasts and caress her erected nipples with his fingers.

She may not like him, but she would be lying to herself if she said that she didn't desire him. He had an astonishing magnetism. Even now she felt the desire to turn and nail her gaze to his to find out if his desire was near to hers.

"What perfume are you wearing?" he asked and moved even closer.

Christine felt her spine wavering as his chest was beating against her back while he was talking.

"Eeer... I am not sure... I can't remember. Something that I've used for several years now..." Her mind was blocked by all the feelings that their closeness brought to her body.

"It reminds me of hot summer nights." He whispered in her ear. "Honeysuckle and jasmine... and something else."

Christine wondered if that 'something else' was the scent of her desire for him. She felt a velvet wetness pooling between her thighs, while her secret pain made her feel more vulnerable. She could keep him away with her caustic tongue... this was always her defence in the past. But what if her body betrayed her? Could he feel how close to responding to the temptation she was?

Erik turned her to face him, allowing his hands to slip down to her arms. As he was turning, with his right thumb, back and forth the ring on her left hand, he was observing the way her expression turned to cold, like his touch never affected her. He could feel the slight tremble of her hands inside his though... see the sparkle that made her chocolate eyes darker and the way that the tip of her tongue wetted her soft lips.

He wanted to kiss her, to taste her sweetness, to feel her tongue fighting his until he tamed her. He wanted to push her back onto the closest wall and bury himself inside her, to feel his erection wrapped in her silky warmth, to enter paradise and take her panting and screaming with him.

But instead, he pulled away. "I changed my mind about that drink." He cleared his throat. "I have another thing to attend to tonight and since I came with my car, I don't want to get caught for driving under the influence of alcohol."

Christine frowned. "Don't you have a personal driver?"

"Not with a full program." He replied "And I don't have any maids either, so I hope it wouldn't be a problem for you to come over once in a while and help me with the housework."

Her frown grew deeper "Is this some kind of joke?"

"It isn't a joke, Chrissie. I cook for myself and I expect you to do the same thing."

"But... but you are a billionaire, for god's sake!" she whispered.

"So?"

"So, you are able to have other people doing these things for you all the time. It's crazy to spend your time doing other things whereas you could use that time doing what you know better."

"But I like cooking a lot." He replied, enjoying every moment of their disagreement. Christine was so spoiled that she had no idea how the real world functioned and it would do her well to learn.

"If you think, even for one moment, that I 'm going to wash your socks and iron your underwear then you have to wake up!" Christine angrily spat.

"The only think I want you to do with my underwear is to pull them off of me... and I would prefer you doing it with your teeth." He replied with a sensual, lustful look.

Her eyes narrowed "I won't be doing that! EVER!"

Erik chuckled and before he was tempted to kiss her mouth, he turned his back to her and moved towards the door.

Christine paced in the living room when he left, feeling her anger fighting with her disappointment that he hadn't stayed for the drink.

No, that wasn't exactly true. In fact, what she really wanted was him to stay long enough to kiss her. She had expected him to cover her mouth with his as he had turned her in his arms. Her entire body screamed for that. She hated him for that. She hated him for playing the 'cat and mouse' game with her, teasing her and torturing her mercilessly, waiting for the right moment to attack.

_She hated him..._

Okay, that wasn't true either, she thought as she put her fingers through her hair. That was the problem... She didn't know what the hell she felt about Erik Moreau, but there was one thing she was perfectly sure about: that _that_ feeling was not as close to hatred as she desperately needed it to be...

* * *

**A/N: so, how was it? just let me know :)...**

**BTW! my very good reviewer **Thaovyphantran ******asked if Erik has a cute name too ;)... and i thought "why not? Christine will have something to tease him too ;P..."  
well...for the reason i cannot come up with anything :/, i m open to suggestions... SO, WHAT CUTE PET NAME WOULD YOU GIVE TO ERIK ^.^?**


	6. A mysterious lady

A/N: *hides under her desk * i m soooo sorry for not updating earlier but i m so busy and totally buried into projects for the university…  
I want to thank everyone in advance for your patience and i hope i won t be that late again :/…

For my anonymous reviewers :) :

**Kuroneko388:** thank you so much! And don t worry, Christine is going to give in; in a… little while ;)…

**ABC:** thanks for reviewing :)! hope you enjoy this chapter too…

**Phantomforever:** i m so glad you like the story so far and i m really flattered by your words, thank you so much for your wonderful review :)…  
i have to confess something though ;P… the last time i updated i didn t know it was thanksgiving -.- so, i cannot take the credit for that ;)…

**MarcoHietala'sAngel:** hahaha… very good suggestion ;)… thank you so much! hope you enjoy the rest of the story too :)…

**MmeButterfly:** wow… really? I m really thrilled it did xDxDxD… thank you :)…

**123456:** i m so glad you think so, it s really great to know that i improve my writing :), thanks so much!

**Balack88:** let s hope i ll keep that up then ;)… thank you very much for reviewing :)!

SO! here is chapter 6...

**Beta: as always, the wonderful Ashes Fan ;)! thanks for everything hun and i m sorry for yesterday night...**

**Disclaimer**: I DO NOT OWN PotO or the main plot of the story.

HOPE YOU ENJOY IT!

* * *

**Chapter 6: A mysterious lady…**

"Sweetheart..." said Gladys Daniels to Christine as soon as she arrived at the hospital the next morning. "Please tell me that th... this... this..." she simply handed the newspaper to her daughter "... this atrocious thing is not true!"

Christine looked at the newspaper and felt a pain, like stabbing, penetrating her body. There was a photo of Erik embracing a beautiful brunette, who smiled at him with adoration. The two paragraphs that accompanied the photo mentioned that the bachelor Erik Moreau would marry the well-known widow Christine Chaney, née Daniels, and that after years of trying to capture the bachelor's personal life, now that they did they were sure that the woman in the photo was not Erik Moreau's fiancée, but a mysterious girlfriend...

"So?" Gladys laced and unlaced her fingers nervously "For god's sake, Christine, if your father finds out about this, he will surely have a heart attack."

"Mum..." Christine found her voice, but the hurt tone of it was more than obvious "Of course it isn't true. You know how journalists work. They invent this kind of stories all the time."

Gladys stared cautiously at her "Are you sure?" she asked. "Are you _really_ sure?"

Christine had never felt so unsure in her life, but she wouldn't admit it to her mother. Like an excellent actress, she finally succeeded in calming her tensed muscles and smiled softly at her mother and took the newspaper with a strangely stable hand. "Mum..." she started and showed her; her left hand "Do you think Erik would give me _this_ and then go out with another woman the same night?"

Her mother held her breath as she observed Christine's hand "Oh my god, it is wonderful." She said "It must have cost him a fortune."

Christine pulled her hand back. "Yes, it did." She simple stated "But obviously I'm worth it."

Gladys looked over her daughter's shoulder "Ah... Erik..." she cleared her throat before continuing "We were just... eeer... talking about you."

Christine prayed that her acting skills would work on Erik too. "Hello." She simply said and rose on the tips of her toes to give him a peck on the cheek, very close to his mouth in order to trick her mother. However, Erik had other plans in mind... He conquered her lips with an intense attack to her senses that left her breathless once the kiss ended.

"Hello to you too, angel..." he said before turning to face her mother who had tried to hide the newspaper behind her back, alas...

"I hope this article didn't fluster you. I already talked with my lawyers about submitting a complaint to the specific journalist."

"Oh..." Gladys began "No.., no, of course not Erik. I was not upset at all... nor Christine." She turned to her child "Were you, dear?"

Christine forced a smile and nodded. "I am used to the mud that the media launch."

Erik smiled in a way that marred his shown characteristics.

"So, how is Erwin today?" he asked Gladys.

"He is resting now, but he had a very good night." Gladys replied in relief "The doctor is pleased so far. However, it is important to keep him calm and free from stress."

"Yes, of course." He agreed and caught Christine's hand, pulling her closer to him. "We will let you go back to his side, as long as we'll be gone. Do you want me to bring you something before we leave?"

Gladys blushed like a schoolgirl "Ah, no, I am fine. Thank you, Erik." And then she started flattering him "You are so polite. You were amazing. Christine is so lucky to have someone like you, and I really mean this. And look at the ring you gave to her! It is in a word beautiful."

Erik smiled uncomfortably "Yeah... but Christine deserves it, don't you think?"

Gladys' face lighted up "Look, she is my daughter, so I have to agree with you." She grinned "But my little girl truly deserves it, although I would prefer to see her smile more often. Come on, dear..." she turned to Christine "... I have to say that for someone in love, you do not seem very excited and happy."

"Uhm... I'm just worried about dad, that's all." She slowly stated "It is difficult to..."

Erik's arm wrapped around her waist "I promise you, Mrs Daniels, that you won't be able to recognise her once we return from our honeymoon." He softly pecked a frowning Christine on the lips "She will be smiling all the time. I guarantee that."

Gladys turned red again "Ah, you are such a charmer, Erik Moreau. And you should call me Gladys, now that you are part of our family."

"Thank you... Gladys..." he said with a little smile.

Christine pulled away once her mother was gone. "Who is she?" she coldly spat.

"Who is _who_?" he asked as he led the way to the lifts.

Christine tried to catch up with his pace "That woman in the photo." She clarified; looking around to make sure no one heard them. "She's your lover, isn't she?" she hissed "And don't even try to deny it 'cause I'm not going to believe you."

Erik called the lift "Then I won't lose my time trying to convince you otherwise."

Christine stared at him angrily as they entered the lift, but she couldn't give him a good answer because they were not alone. She stood as stiff as a rock next to him, feeling her anger boiling inside her.

The lift brought them to the ground floor and Erik put his hand under Christine's elbow to lead her to where his car was parked.

"Where are we going?" she asked and tried to free her hand.

"We are going to have a coffee." He replied and opened the car's door for her "Get inside!"

Her eyes were colder than ice "Do not order me like I am a child!"

"Then stop acting childishly" he coolly said and repeated his words "Get inside the car!"

"I can't see why we have to go with the car; we can have a coffee at the hospital." Christine shrugged.

Erik challenged her with his eyes "You know what, Chrissie?" she gulped "You have started annoying me... and that's not a good thing."

"Sorry, you are coming second in this, because I've felt so annoyed by you since the first moment I met you." She spat, her chocolate eyes sparkling dangerously.

Erik hardly remained under control. "Listen..." he said "I have nothing against drinking coffee in hospitals, but right now I want us to be alone. We have to discuss a lot of things."

fChristine raised her chin "Like your mysterious lover?"

He clenched his teeth. "She's nothing like that. She's a... friend."

She raised one eyebrow "Friend, huh? Really?" she rolled her eyes. "How stupid do you think that I am, Erik? Do you think I'm _innocent_ enough in order to believe a story like that?"

"Honestly, I don't give a damn what _you_ think. I have a very long list with things I have to work on today, and your childish behaviour doesn't help at all, especially since I gave you my money and you never thanked me."

"Are you really expecting me to thank you for forcing me into a marriage with you?"

"If you are not happy with the conditions then you can hand me the money and the ring back right now." He nailed her with his intense eyes.

"You know I can't do that." She murmured.

"Then let's move on according to plan A." He pushed her softly, coaxing her to get in the car.

Once Christine settled in the car, she noticed she was starting to feel awful. Her head was spinning and she couldn't feel her stiff shoulders. She pressed the bridge of her nose with her fingers, closing her eyes to avoid the sun's light.

"Hey..." Erik's deep voice was almost calming, just like his warm fingers that massaged the nape of her neck. She felt her tension subsiding in a magical way and sighed deeply.

"Are you feeling a little better?" he asked with a frown.

Christine opened her eyes and turned her face towards him. Her heart almost stopped. His amazing eyes looked worried and his mouth had lost its strictness. He looked sexy and irresistible as always. Christine couldn't stop staring at him...

She felt her eyelids growing heavy as his mouth came closer to hers. The touch of his lips on her own was so soft, like a feather that the wind leads over a smooth surface. Her lips shivered under the barely audible pressure and every cell of her body gained life as she waited for the next kiss.

But instead, he pulled back and started the car with a stifled moan.

Christine, still feeling his lips on hers, wondered if he had pulled back on purpose as a way to make her want him and when the time came, take her without resistance. Her eyes closed at the idea of making love to him, with his hands on her body, touching her, caressing her, making her melt from want.

She changed position, trying to feel more comfortable as she felt a wetness pooling between her thighs.

Would she disappoint him? Despite her marriage to Raoul, she had never felt pleasure, only pain and shame.

And suddenly she woke up from her thoughts. "Are we going to your house?" she asked.

"Yes." He replied, focused on the road "I think you need to rest for a while."

Christine turned her head and looked outside the window. The concerned, kind Erik was a pleasurable change, although deep inside she thought he was just trying to attract her attention and make her forget his mysterious lady. Jealousy made her stomach turn to a knot, making her feel ill.

She didn't want to feel so tensed...

She didn't want to feel so vulnerable...

Right then she realised that she didn't want Erik to desire someone else apart from her...

Erik parked his car and rushed to help her. She looked so pale and fragile, her lips were pursed and her brow was wrinkled. It was obvious that she had exhausted herself...

He knew very well what worrying about an ill parent meant. Watching his beloved mother dying was one of the hardest things in his life, and it became worse when he had found out about Nathan's death.

The news of Christine's engagement, only a few weeks after Nathan's death, was another bad surprise. He had never liked Raoul Chaney, he was too calm, too sure about himself and he never seemed to be really in love with Christine. However, despite his warning, she had finally married Chaney. And the bodyguards that Raoul had used surely kept him away from the church, just like Christine had asked. Erik had fought really hard, but four against one was something beyond even him.

Entering the house now, he guided her straight to the kitchen where he pulled a chair out for her. "Sit..." he told her softly. "I'll make you an omelette and toast."

For a moment Christine seemed ready to argue, but then she sighed and sat on the chair. "Don't cook too many things... I'm not very hungry."

"When was the last time you ate something?" he questioned as he rolled his sleeves up.

"I don't... I can't remember. Lunch yesterday?"

Erik's shown eyebrow rose. "You should take better care of yourself. I don't want you to faint all the time."

"Mmm... very funny."

Erik broke a couple of eggs. "How is everything going at the Company since your father stopped?" The only thing he received was silence that made him look over his shoulder. "Not very good, huh?"

"What made you think something like that?" Christine defended herself. "Do you think I am not able to handle the Company on my own?"

"Something inside me tells me that everything you do is because you want to prove something. Your heart never belonged to business... it never did..."

Erik could almost listen to her brain functioning in order to find a way to excuse her actions.

"It's a family business." She finally stated.

"So?"

"So, the family members usually undertake some kind of role in the company."

"Yes." Erik agreed "But this helps if the person is ideal for that job, and even more if the person enjoys what they're doing."

He turned and saw Christine slipping off the chair and crossing her arms on her chest "I surely enjoy it." She retrieved her gaze from his.

"Maybe. But I believe there are things you would definitely enjoy more."

"Oh really?" she provoked him "Since when did you become an expert on what would satisfy me?"

He looked at her with those eyes that made her knees bend, and then she felt her body on fire as she realised she could have phrased her question in a totally different way, without giving it a double meaning.

"Because I know you, angel..."he said "You don't have the brains for business and I am not the only one who thinks so."

Christine stiffened "What?" she narrowed her eyes "You mean you were talking to someone from the Company about me?"

Erik leaned backwards slowly "I just gave eighteen million pounds to the Daniels' Company. Didn't you think that I should check several things before proceeding?"

"What do you mean?" she questioned suspiciously "You didn't have much time. I came to you at the very last moment and you..." she stopped abruptly as the truth hit her "You were snooping on me for a long time, weren't you? For god's sake, your audacity has no limits, Erik Moreau. How dare you! Why were you spying on me like this?"

"I was worried about your father's health long before he had the heart attack. I had dinner with him two months ago and I understood that things weren't going well... Honestly, I think it's comforting for him that you are in charge now, although I'm sure that once he recovers he'll want to continue working. And that's why, till then, an administrative director is going to take your place."

Christine's eyes turned as huge as plates "_Who_ is going to take my _what_? What the hell have you done?"

"I want you to have a break away from the Company." Erik smiled gently as he served the omelette. "Take a couple of months off in order to think what you really want to do. You may find it more to your liking to stop working and enjoy being a wife and a mother."

She looked at him with an enraged expression "You thought of everything, didn't you, Erik? You are expecting me to quit from everything and turn into a reproducing machine. God! I can't believe there are still men like you around. I thought they had died with the dinosaurs."

Erik placed the plate with the omelette and the toasts on the table between them "Eat it now while it's still warm". He coaxed her.

Being utterly overwrought, Christine pushed the plate back to Erik, but with more force than what was needed. The plate slipped off the table and shattered into pieces in front of Erik's feet.

She looked at him with fear in her eyes "I... I'm sorry..." she stuttered "I didn't mean to do this..."

"Of course you didn't..." he pulled back with his gaze nailed to her face and his mouth set in a grim line.

Christine took an unsteady step backwards "I w... will clean it." She said in a broken voice "Just tell me where I can find the..."

"Leave it!" he interrupted her "I'll take care of it myself; you can only make it worse in your state."

Christine pursed her lips, fighting to hold back her tears, but at the end she failed. They slipped one by one under the shield of her eyelids and ran silently on her cheeks.

Erik froze at the sight of her tears "It's only a plate." He said and his anger started vanishing "It's not the end of the world."

Christine sobbed and hid her face into her palms and her shoulders began shaking as she burst into tears for good.

Erik swore silently to himself and took Christine in his arms "Are you sure it's not just your period?" his question sounded desperate.

Christine shook her head negatively, as she was buried in his broad chest.

Erik caressed her silken tresses, enjoying the feel of their smoothness. Her sobs slowly subsided until she was silent, with her head turned at the side in a way so that her cheek was pressed against his pounding heart.

His body was growing warmer by each passing second making him crave her, needing to pull her soft curves fully onto his strong frame. Her soft breasts were pressed against his firm chest and her hands had been wrapped around his waist, thus bringing the lower parts of their bodies closer.

Erik felt the light tremble of desire that made her body shiver and then she lifted her head and met his gaze. Her lips were so soft and tempting that he finally bent his head and covered them with his own...

* * *

**A/N: so, how was it? just let me know ;)...**


	7. Heat and doubts

A/N: *lifts head from Genetics* Hello, everyone! Yes, i know -.- i m late and the chapter is short :/... i do apologise, but this is going to happen from now on as i m getting ready for the semester's exams... duh...

anyway... **i hope all of you had a very Merry Christmas :D!**

*ahem*

For my anonymous reviewers :) :

**Canela:** i m so glad you do :)… thank you so much!

**MarcoHietala'sAngel:** hahahaha... yeah i did left you with a cliffy and with an unidentified woman ;P... i m just trying to build up the tension ;)... thank you so much for reviewing ;D!

**ABC:** i hope you ll enjoy this chapter too :)! thanks a lot for reviewing...

**123456:** ok here s the next chapter... not as soon as you asked but i hope you ll like it :D...

**JacobLuver226:** hahahahaha... as you can see i m alive, just too busy as i m getting ready for the semester's examinations -.- ... now... about the mysterious lady... i m afraid it ll take some time till we find out who she is *smirks* but till then, i hope you enjoy the rest of the story :D... thanks for reviewing :D!

**Phantomforever:** your reviews always give me a grin that i cannot get rid of for quite some time xDxDxD and i really thank you for that :)... on the other hand i feel that you re flattering me too much ;P... you see, i don t believe that my story is that good, it s really thrilling to know that you re enjoying it very much though :)... thank you so much for all your kind words :)!

**me:** thank you so much :)!

**Balack88:** noooo... no worries, i will finish that story, i m not going to give it up :)!

**SomethingLIKEthat:** i m so glad you do! thank you...

SO! here is chapter 7...

**Beta: The phantomazing Ashes Fan ;P!**

**Disclaimer**: I DO NOT OWN PotO or the main plot of the story.

HOPE YOU ENJOY IT!

**

* * *

**

Chapter 7: Heat and doubts...

_Christine was buried in his broad chest._

_Erik caressed her silken tresses, enjoying the feel of their smoothness. Her sobs slowly subsided until she was silent, with her head turned at the side in a way so that her cheek was pressed against his pounding heart._

_His body was growing warmer by each passing second making him crave her, needing to pull her soft curves fully onto his strong frame. Her soft breasts were pressed against his firm chest and her hands had been wrapped around his waist, thus bringing the lower parts of their bodies closer._

_Erik felt the light tremble of desire that made her body shiver and then she lifted her head and met his gaze. Her lips were so soft and tempting that he finally bent his head and covered them with his own..._

Christine completely melted under his kiss' fire. His lips were soft, determined and demanding one moment, and gentle and coaxing the other. It was a heady repertoire that made all her senses come alive, and her body shiver in response.

She kissed him back with a passion almost scary with its intensity. She was on fire and every fibre of her craved to feel him touch her everywhere, bringing her body to pleasure's ultimate climax. She felt her muscles trembling and the warm wetness between her thighs prepared her for his body's invasion. She could feel how aroused Erik was, so hard, so strong, so unbearably male.

With his mouth still on hers, Christine felt his fingers undoing the tiny buttons of her cotton blouse one by one, as his tongue danced a sensual tango with her own. He didn't lose his time unclasping her bra... he simply pulled it downwards and brought his mouth to her breasts. Christine sighed as Erik's tongue drew circles around her nipple, before he finally took it fully in his mouth and suckled making her knees bend. He moved to her other breast and increased his mouth's pressure, biting it softly. The cool surface of his mask on her skin caused goose-bumps to rise on her soft flesh and set her body in a liquid fire. Waves of pleasure filled her and her brain could only comprehend the way he made her feel.

Erik brought his mouth back to hers in a hot kiss, full of passion, desire and lust, pushing his pelvis against Christine's with such force that she could swear that she felt the blood in his hard flesh pulsing.

"Your taste is so damn delicious..." he murmured on her swollen lips "... I want to taste all of you... every delicious inch..." he growled and dipped his tongue inside the waiting warmth of her mouth.

Christine pulled his head closer to hers, his mask causing her a slight discomfort as they kissed with a bruising force, but at that moment she didn't care at all. Her tongue caressing and twirling around his. Her heart was thudding as Erik parted her thighs with his and rubbed it against her pubic area. An eruption of senses flooded her body and her desire led her to start cooing and purring.

"Come upstairs with me..." Erik said and pulled his mouth away. He looked at her and his azure eyes were darker than even before "We don't have to wait till our wedding... I want you now..."

Christine felt divided. Her body leaned on the one side and her brain tried desperately to pull her on the other side. _"He has a lover..." _she reminded herself. _"Erik Moreau is a playboy..."_

He was marrying her only to extract revenge. There was no love in their agreement, not even affection. Everything was about lust... nothing else...

Erik wanted her and had done everything in order to have her. He would use her and once he grew tired of her he would abandon her, trapped in a dead-end waiting for him to end the marriage.

However, her body disagreed. It was still throbbing from desire. While every pore of her skin was sensitive to his touch. Her lips were swollen and the silky wetness between her thighs made it even harder to ignore the need that Erik had evoked inside her.

"Or... what about doing it here?" Erik offered and turned her in a way that her back was touching the kitchen's bench. He pulled at her skirt and his fingers sought her wet warmth.

"No!" Christine pushed at him with both hands against his chest.

He raised his unmasked eyebrow, his hand still resting on her inner thigh. "No?"

Christine pursed her lips in an effort to control her breathing, to tame her wild desire...

"No..." she said exhaling "I can't..."

"You didn't give me that impression several moments ago." He groaned and his face twitched "Could you tell me what made you change your mind?"

Christine pulled away while straightening her clothes with as much dignity as she had left, considering that her breasts were still bare and wet from his lips raid.

"I don't want to sleep with you before our marriage." She said.

"For god's sake Christine! You were married to another man; I'm not dealing with a sweet virgin who's saving herself for her wedding night..."

Christine could clearly hear the disappointment in his voice, and felt guilty for letting things move on that fast. "I'm sorry... I know that it's difficult for you..."

Erik only laughed sarcastically "_Difficult_ is the key-word."

Christine felt her cheeks turning red and bit her lips "It's not easy for me..." she said as she was buttoning her blouse "It's been a long time since... you know... I had a relationship with... with..."

Erik put his finger on her lips and his eyes looked strictly into hers "Let's not add your husband to our conversation, ok? Every time that I think of you and him together, I want to punch something." He hit the bench with his fist.

Christine stood without moving, his other hand was still on her lips and she felt an irresistible desire to touch it with her tongue.

There was an intense moment until he decided to pull his finger away "Was he your first lover?" he asked.

Christine nodded and frowned slightly as she recalled the first time... the only time she had been with Raoul...

Raoul had _made_ her be his... She never thought it would be so painful, but he had done nothing to prepare her. He had used her like a whore and had left her shattered both physically and sentimentally.

"Was there anyone else since then?" Erik asked after another intense moment.

Christine shook her head "No... no one..."

Erik wondered if he should believe her or not, after all she hadn't mourned for Raoul in the way everyone had expected. Her husband had hit a telegraph pole with his car and had died instantaneously; at least that's what the forensic surgeon had said.

Journalists had caught Christine numerous times, the first weeks after Chaney's death, continuing her life like nothing had even happened. She had been shopping, to her hairdresser; she had her manicure and pedicure without the slightest hint of sadness on her beautiful face. Erik had wondered if the rumours he had heard in the city were true. It was said that she had numerous affairs even while she was married and that Chaney had preferred to remain silent instead of ruining the Daniels-Chaney alliance.

"Did you love him?" he questioned now.

"I thought you didn't want me to speak about him, am I right?" Christine replied sending him an ironic look over her shoulder.

"It's a simple question" Erik said back "And like in most of the simple questions a 'yes' or 'no' would be enough."

"Why do you want to know?" she asked and she turned to face him "You don't feel anything for me apart from lust. Or are you forgetting to tell me something I should know?"

Erik had to admire her talent for quick-witted replies. The strange thing was that he wasn't sure about his feelings. He had desired her for years... he had desired and hated her at the same time. In the past she had been such a snob, such a bitch to him, and although back then he could forgive everything she had done because of her young age, he just couldn't forgive her now for looking down on him. For her, he would always be the maid's son... a person who didn't deserve Christine Daniels' attention... a person who didn't even deserve to keep a door open for her, let alone touch her till she screamed his name in ecstasy.

"That would be handy, wouldn't it, Christine?" he stated "Do you want to make me confess my _undying_ love? I'm sorry to disappoint you, but my feelings are about more basic instincts. _Lust_ is a good description. Perhaps a little harsh for someone as spoiled as you, but that's the truth..."

She glared at him with ignorance.

Erik only smiled and grabbed his car keys "You may want to button your blouse again, Chrissie... Looks like the last button isn't in the right hole."

Christine looked at her blouse and her face turned aflame with shame. She was furious; Erik had once again had the last word. She felt like he had her pride inside his hand and with the simplest tightening of his fist he could destroy it. She would fight with everything she had in order to prevent that from happening, but with every kiss he gave her, she realised that she had lost herself in the abyss.

She had always believed that her marriage to Raoul Chaney had been her biggest mistake in life, but now she could see that falling in love with Erik Moreau would prove to be an even bigger mistake...

* * *

**A/N: so, how was it? just let me know :)...**


	8. Newlyweds

A/N: *smiles guiltily* Hello everyone… i know… i haven t updated in a very loooong time, but blame university's examinations for that ;P… i swear that all this biology stuff will drive me crazy one of these days xDxDxD…  
anyways… what i really want to say is that I AM OFICIALLY BACK AND READY FOR NEW ADVENTURES ;D!

I want to thank everyone for your support, i m so grateful :) and i do apologise for not responding to your reviews this time, guys… **Thaovyphantran**, **ABC**, **KanataH**, **Kuroneko388**, **forbiddenluv**, **Sweet. B. Seduction**, **Phantomforever** (twice ;D), **MarcoHietala'sAngel**, **Balack88**, **MmeButterfly**, **a super cool reader**, **123456**, **JacobLuver226**, **romanticfan**, **Erik's fan **(this is the order of the reviews i got for Chapter 7…)

**And to answer the questions of your reviews:**

No, i m not preparing for A levels, i m already at the 2nd year of my studies at the university :)…  
Christine will tell Erik about what the fop did to her in a couple of chapters ;D…  
Erik loved Christine once, now he _thinks_ that this belongs to the past, but we ll see what happens in the next chapters ;)…just a note here: he s more confused than what everyone believes ;)…  
About the woman at the photograph… let s say we have a long way to go before revealing her identity, and no she isn t the person who s going to take over Christine's job…

*ahem*… back to business now ;)…

SO! here is chapter 8...

**Beta:**** my dear friend Ashes Fan :)!**

**Disclaimer**: I DO NOT OWN PotO or the main plot of the story.

HOPE YOU ENJOY IT!

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 8: Newlyweds…**

Christine stood by Erik's side in front of the priest, listening to herself mechanically repeating the wedding vows, which, under those circumstances, had no value.

Erik's deep and clear voice though, made those fake vows and promises sound real, she thought. The way he spoke with such certainty was like he truly loved her and he would honour and respect her for the rest of their lives.

Christine turned when the priest announced that the groom could kiss the bride. She raised her face towards Erik's and closed her eyes as his mouth sealed hers in a possessive kiss. Every move of his lips was shouting _"You are mine now! In body and soul..."_ And Christine knew that if he did what he wanted, it would be only a matter of hours before they consummated their marriage.

...

* * *

The tickets for their trip to the Daniels' Island were ready and their flight was scheduled around an hour after the wedding. Their luggage was already in Erik's car and as soon as they signed the marriage certificate, he led her there.

Christine found it difficult to think of something to say as they were on their way to the airport. She was only feeling Erik's muscled hand shifting gears so close to her thigh. He had rolled up his sleeves because of the heat, the dark hair on his forearms made her feel a mix of awe and longing to feel his touch on her naked flesh.

There would be endless chances for this to happen during their honeymoon, at the tropical island, she reminded herself, shivering with want. She had checked the weather for the following days and with temperatures over 30°C; she knew that her bikini and sarong would be what she would wear for the greatest part of each day. She didn't dare to think what she would wear during the night. If Erik moved according to his plans, she was sure that she would be naked.

"When was the last time you were at the resort?" Erik's voice interrupted her thoughts.

Christine had to think for a moment "I flew here two or three months ago... but it was only for two days."

Erik said nothing, but Christine wondered if he thought she should visit the place more often in order to check the business closely. The person who Erik had hired to take her place had already found some mistakes among her folders, something that made her feel even more useless in the business field, even though Erik never said a thing. He had just told Marco Barns that lately, with her father's health problems, there was so much stress, and Christine had for one moment dared to hope that he had done it because of her feelings. However, in a more logical moment she had realised that Erik must have once again played the 'concerned fiancé's' role... her feelings never mattered to him.

Also, even though she would never admit it to Erik, since she had stopped going to the office she had felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. And her parents weren't worried at all when Erik took over the Company... On the contrary, they had told her how much they trusted him.

"_One way or another..." Gladys said __with__ a feline's smile "it will not be long until we hear tiny feet walking and kicking around, I am sure of that. Right, Christine?"_

_Erik only smiled as he put his hand around Christine's waist "Don't worry, Gladys... We'll work on that very soon."_

_Christine turned red till the very roots of her hair, but convinced herself to smile. However, in __the__ moment that her parents weren't looking, she gave Erik's arm a hard pinch and looked at him with anger. Erik, on the other hand, only winked at her, something that set her body on fire._

Erik drove the car towards the airport's parking area and within few minutes they checked-in and got in the aeroplane waiting for the take-off.

Christine found the perfect chance then to close her eyes and pretend she was sleeping. But after some time, which didn't seem like more than a few minutes to her, she opened her eyes and found herself leaning against Erik's shoulder. She shifted on her seat and blinked a couple of times.

"I'm sorry... I must have fallen asleep." She said "I hope I didn't wrinkle your shirt."

His smile was gentle "No... It's okay. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed hearing you snoring." He smirked.

Christine's eyes went wide "I do not snore!"

"How do you know that?" he asked her, raising his visible eyebrow. "You didn't have a lover after your husband's death after all, did you?" he eyed her suspiciously.

Christine frowned "You don't believe me..."

Erik observed her for several moments "You cannot tell me that you weren't aware of the rumours during your marriage."

Christine felt her stomach turning to knots "Wh...What rumours?"

He only continued to stare deep into her eyes "Rumours about the numerous lovers you had."

Christine felt her cheeks burn under his hot gaze "I find the fact that you believe whatever you read at least ironic, since you want me to believe that the woman in the photo from the newspaper isn't your lover, while everything shows that she is."

"So you're telling me that those rumours about you were wrong." his gaze still hard.

Christine wondered if she had to tell him what had really occurred during her marriage. But two things stopped her. One; the fact they were inside an aeroplane with many people around them, and two; her pride.

Erik was the one who had warned her about Raoul, but she had simply ignored him and paid for it dearly later. Consequently, she couldn't have him now mentioning it against her at every chance he found. She had suffered a lot. And for some reason, she would always suffer for that mistake of hers. Her life had already taken a turn that she could have never imagined.

"I'm just telling you that you shouldn't believe everything you read." She stated "There are always two sides to every story."

"I've heard there are three sides" he replied with an enigmatic smile "There's the wife's side, the husband's side and then there's the truth."

Christine was relieved when the air-hostess announced that they were ready to land, so she didn't have to continue this conversation. She pushed her bag under her seat and after fastening her seat-belt she looked at the blue ocean under her window.

There were many other touristic islands next to the Daniels, but to Christine none seemed so beautiful and peaceful. She had dear memories from there as a child. She had passed many magical days with her brother at the beach, building castles on the sand, going on long walks across the private beaches far from the resort.

A wave of nostalgia deluged her as the aeroplane landed. She felt her eyes water and she had to blink repeatedly in order to send the tears away. Nathan loved the island as much as she did; it was too difficult for her to believe that he would never come here and that he would never walk again with her there.

Erik's hand sought hers, which was clenched on her knee, curling his long fingers around hers "Is everything alright?" he asked.

Christine forced a smile "Of course. Just the landing was a little abrupt... that's all."

He squeezed her fingers almost imperceptibly "I miss him too, my sweet. He was a very good friend." He whispered.

Christine felt her throat clench but she finally spoke, voice trembling "You were like a brother to him. I was so jealous of your relationship... It seems so childish now..." she chuckled bitterly.

"You _were_ a child." He replied and freed her hand "And a very spoilt one. I could never be mad at you because of that..."

Christine secretly rubbed her hand, where Erik's fingers had been only moments before, and she wondered if what he had told her was true. After all, wasn't that the reason their marriage took place?

Paying-back...

Punishment...

Revenge...

The last word made her shiver as she imagined what Erik would probably be thinking...

"_The revenge is mine..."_

_

* * *

_

**A/N: so, how was it (apart from short and boring but trust me it was an important transition so that 'good things' will start taking place in the next chapter ^.^) ? just let me know :)...**

ALSO! There s a thought of writing (or at least 'try' to write :P) sth medieval, E/C all the way of course, after this story is completed, what do you think?


	9. Surprising twist

A/N: YAY! i m fast :D! and my Beta s even faster ;)… i hope you all enjoy this chapter 'cause it really really wore my out ;P it was the most difficult chapter to write so far…  
i can say though that i m pretty pleased by the result but you are the judges of course ;)…

Also, i m really glad to see that most of you liked the idea of a medieval story… i ll start working on it as soon as this story ends :)…

For my anonymous reviewers :):

**Thaovyphantran: **oh thank god xDxDxD… but to be honest i wouldn t mind be punished by Erik ^.^… hahahaha…

**Kuroneko388:** ;D this chapter is for you then, dear… here s some E/C action ;)… thank you so much for reviewing :)…

**ABC:** don t worry, i won t abandon this story; or any of my stories :) i like to finish what i start…  
yes, i know that last chapter was short but i just had to update xD… thanks for reviewing :)!

**MmeButterfly**: xD i m not leaving it ;)… no worries…

**123456: **ok, this chapter is full of E/C hotness, hope you enjoy it :D! thanks for reviewing…

**itcouldn'tgetbetter:** thank you so much :D! i hope you enjoy the rest of it too :)…

**Balack88:** i hope i was fast enough ;P… enjoy…

**Phantomforever:** i m so so glad you enjoyed it :)… thank you so much for reviewing! your reviews always give me an extremely broad smile :D… i hope you enjoy this chapter too…

**Canela: **i m not leaving you again, i promise… not before next semester's examinations anyway ;P… thanks for reviewing :)!

**JacobLuver226:** i m glad you liked my idea, i ll work on it as soon as this story is over :)…

**MarcoHietala'sAngel**: and the answer is: yes, things are going to hit up soon, veeeery soon, tooooo soon…  
oh well… start reading the chapter xDxDxD… hope you enjoy it ;)…

SO! here is chapter 9...

**Beta: The aMAZing Ashes Fan ;P!**

**Disclaimer**: I DO NOT OWN PotO or the main plot of the story.

HOPE YOU ENJOY IT!

* * *

**Chapter 9****: Surprising twist…**

Marie and Samuel Gary warmly welcomed Erik and Christine to the resort. Samuel took their luggage and Marie, after a short walk around the resort, led them to their luxurious bungalow.

There was a swimming pool, spa, sauna and a large shower basin located in the bungalow's private garden. The scent of exotic jasmine was everywhere around the place and the brightly-coloured hibiscuses reminded Christine of wrinkled silk.

"If you require something, I will be at the reception." Marie said politely before leaving the couple.

"Thank you very much, Marie." Erik said with a smile as he proceeded to open the door for her.

When Marie left, and the door behind her closed, Christine felt a shiver running down her spine as Erik's eyes searched hers.

"How about going to swim for a while? It's pretty hot outside, isn't it?" he asked her.

"Hmmm... okay..." she said and walked towards their luggage to get her bikini. Her stomach tightened at the thought of sharing this bungalow with Erik. It was really big but it was also too isolated.

Not only had she not slept in the same bed as Raoul, she also hadn't shared a bathroom with him. He had insisted on having his very own bathroom and Christine found out the purpose for that only a few months before his death. She had been in there searching for some soap and instead, she found some traces of white powder and a twenty-pound note wrapped in a small cylinder.

Finding out that her husband was taking cocaine wasn't as big as the shock that she hadn't guessed it till then... his _cyclothymiacs mood_... his almost _maniac behaviour_... his _grief _were all the symptoms of taking drugs. Just like her parents refused to accept that her brother took drugs, she refused to accept that her husband took drugs. That plus his numerous affairs were Raoul's dirty secrets.

"I will leave you to change." Erik said from the door "I'm going to check on the gym."

Christine hugged her bikini and her sarong close to her chest. "Oh... okay... thank you..."

Once he left, she took a deep breath and let it out swiftly.

...

* * *

The beach in front of the bungalow had a length of about two hundred metres while several rocks separated it from the next beach. Christine swam back and forth in a slow motion, enjoying the feeling of the water on her skin. When she opened her eyes in the sea she saw thousands of colourful tropical fish beneath her. Because of the sand at the bottom of the sea, the waters looked crystal clear.

She was pretty far from the beach, when a dark figure appeared in front of her out of nowhere. She shrieked, startled, and her heart started thudding in her chest, but then she realised that it was Erik...

"You shouldn't come out here alone!" he growled and swam closer to her. "It's dangerous."

"I am a very good swimmer, thanks for your concern... it's very touching." She mocked and turned her back to him.

"I'm not doubting your abilities as a swimmer, Christine." He gently said "But what if you got a cramp? Or if a jellyfish stung you?"

"You don't seem to care whether YOU are like a fish out of its depth or not. Why should those things only happen to me?" she scoffed and again turned her back to him, the sun's reflection on his white mask blinding her.

Erik approached her, his legs touching her every little while. "This happens because I'm never out of my depth..." His gaze caressed her face and stopped on her luscious mouth "...In any situation."

Christine felt desire wrapping around her body. Erik was too close, but she, on the other hand, never moved away from him, although she could. The touch of his thighs set her blood on fire.

When Erik moved his face downwards, she had already lifted her own to meet his. Their lips joined with force emanating from the wild passion that was flooding both of them.

Christine moaned sensually when his tongue started playing with her own... he seduced it and then mercilessly subjugated it. Deep inside her brain she realised that she wasn't floating on her own anymore. Erik's hands were wrapped around her waist, bringing them so close that their nearly naked bodies had almost become one. She felt his erection pushing angrily against her and felt her breath abandoning her body. The desire was too much to bear, every cell of her body craved him.

Erik pulled his mouth away from hers. "You have no idea how much I want you..." his breathing wasn't steady. "I want to make you mine right now, right here." His voice hoarse.

Her chocolate eyes stared at him with enthusiasm, the same enthusiasm that she could feel in all her body's soft curves which were now pressed against the hard planes of his. She wetted her lips with her tongue, driving him crazy, and lifted her legs, wrapping them around his thighs.

"Do you think it is a good idea? Out here? In public?" she asked breathlessly "Someone could see us."

"Right now that's the last thing that concerns me." He replied "But only in order to avoid shocking someone, we'd better go inside."

Christine shivered in his arms, but not because of the cold sea-water... no... She felt warm and alive. It was utterly satisfying for Erik to feel her like that, despite the fact that that was something he had come to know only when their bodies touched and not because of her words. She wanted him just like he wanted her. And, oh god, how much he wanted her...

Every throbbing part of his body craved to be buried inside her, to feel her silky flesh tightly hugging his hard flesh. He had dreamt of that for years, being angry with himself for his weakness when it came to Christine... he would never be really satisfied if he didn't have her... She was the fever in his blood... She was an impetuous flood beneath his skin, a wild river of desire that tried desperately to break the dams.

He led her out of the water, taking all her glory in. Her body looked golden and soft, her magnificent breasts were protesting about her black bikini top that prevented their freedom, and the valley between them made his imagination fill up with sensual scenes of him and Christine.

There were so many things he wanted to do to her, as he took her hand and walked towards their bungalow. He wanted to kiss all her secret places, brand her as his own, to make sure that every time they made love she thought of no one but him. He wanted to enter her body's paradise, make her swell from his seed and claim her body as his own in the most primal way of all... as the father of her children. She would think twice before considering leaving him if they shared the bond of a child, a child he would love with his entire being, sacrificing everything for it, just like his mother had done for him.

The bungalow was cool after the heat of the beach, but Christine continued feeling like she was on fire. As Erik closed the door, she stood in front of him, trembling with want. He had aroused her to the point where she couldn't bear any more desire. She couldn't refuse him anything now. Their union was inevitable; it was something they both wanted for much more time than what she would dare to admit. And his own desire was more than obvious.

His desire might not be covered with kind words, just like Chaney's had been in order to make her marry him, but Christine was pretty sure that Erik Moreau wouldn't be disappointing between the sheets, like Raoul had been.

Erik's ability in sex was obvious. It diffused from the pores of his skin... Without a doubt he had slept with many a woman and he had done things to them that she wouldn't even imagine, but now he was with her, bonded to her and aroused...

He lifted his hands and pulled her to him. He first removed her bikini top. Her mounds sprang free and her painfully hardened nipples relaxed after the contact with his warm, wet mouth as he nipped, licked and suckled on them. It was shocking feeling the stubble of his unshaven chin against her soft flesh, and when she felt him pulling the bottom of her bikini downwards her legs felt like jelly...

Then the black cloth pooled on her legs and her body was exposed to his hungry gaze like never before.

"You are beautiful..." he said in a deep, rough voice. His eyes travelled on her "So so beautiful."

Christine forgot to breathe as his eyes returned to hers. "I want to see you too..."

"_Oh god!__ Did I just say that__?"_ she asked herself. She had openly admitted that she wanted him.

Erik smiled and raised his hands like he was surrendering "I am all yours." He said.

Christine didn't need him to say it twice. With not very stable hands he pulled at his bathing suit. Her throat dried immediately when she saw his size. He was big... a lot bigger than what she thought, although she had moulded her body on his many times before. He was exactly as nature wanted him; unbearably masculine and unbearably erected.

Her long fingers travelled on him, slowly, searchingly... fumbling, trying, returning back at the same spot to feel him better as she pumped him and he swelled even more in her hand.

"God! You're making me feel so good." Erik said as he caught her hand in his and brought it to his lips. "But I don't want to cut this short." He smiled seductively.

Christine felt a strange trembling at the pit of her stomach. She wasn't used to this prolonged routine... in this senses' torture... in the desire's scream that pleaded for satisfaction. Her body ached for him like it had never ached before. A silky wetness formed between her thighs. Her breasts felt heavy and tender and her mouth sought the warmth of him.

So, she did the only thing any woman would do under those circumstances. She moulded her body on his and covered his mouth with hers giving him a hot, wet kiss to show him how much she wanted him.

Erik responded the way she wished him to. He pushed her onto the bed, lied on top of her and penetrated her tight sheath with his hot rod with a strong thrust that shouldn't have hurt her, but strangely, it did.

Erik felt her go rigid for a moment and stopped. He pulled away from her face and put his weight on his hands so that he could look at her beautiful face,

"Did I move very fast, my sweet?"

His endearment made her smile and she shook her head immediately.

"No... it's just... It's been a long time."

Erik despised remembering who her first lover was. His blood was boiling inside his veins just at the thought of that snake making her his one night after the other, giving her the pleasure he wanted to give her.

He would make her forget him.

He would do everything in his power in order to make her forget. He would make her scream HIS name when he led her to paradise.

"I'll move slower." He said and gave her a soft kiss on the lips "Relax for me, my angel, follow my lead."

He moved slower, enjoying her tight warmth, but still feeling her hesitancy. He could feel it from the way her muscles tightened like she was afraid he would hurt her.

"That's it..." he encouraged her as she started following his slow but firm lead "You're doing really well, Christine... very well. Come with me..." he said as he kissed her neck, his mask cooling the flames on her skin.

Christine felt her bones melting. He was so gentle and at the same time so strong. She could feel him sliding inside her, going deeper which each slow thrust. She felt shivers making her body tremble, but they weren't enough to satisfy her. She writhed beneath him, desperately seeking what she was looking for... something exquisite that would make her his forever.

Erik moved his hand between their tangled bodies, seeking her tight bud and caressed it softly and rhythmically. She was almost there, it was like climbing a stiff mountain... she was so close, she had almost reached the top, she could almost taste it, but she pulled back in fear...

"Come for me, me sweet..." Erik said and kissed her on the mouth, massaging her tongue with his own. "Don't back off. Let yourself free..."

Christine concentrated, trying hard to keep the past's dark images away from her mind. Her breathing was coming out in short gasps.

"I can't..." she exhaled ready to burst into tears, annoyed by herself _"I'm a loser." _She thought.

"I am sorry... but I can't."

Erik slowed down once again, letting her breath freely. He had a feeling that she felt very fragile at that moment but he couldn't explain it.

"Okay..." he whispered. "We don't have to rush things. I can wait. For a little while, I'm reminding you, but I can."

Christine stared deep into his eyes and her cheeks turned red in shame.

"I cannot do this..." she choked on her words. "I never could..."

Erik frowned and Christine felt his entire body stiffening, not only on her, but inside her too.

"What are you talking about, Christine?" he asked roughly.

Christine pursed her lips in her effort to hold back her tears.

"Are you telling me that you've never had an orgasm?" he questioned after a moment of silence.

Christine nodded and silent tears ran down her face.

Erik remembered how hesitant Christine was, her withdrawal like she expected him to be rough with her. His heart thudded more and more as dark thoughts filled his brain.

The curse that left his lips cut the air like daggers.

"Did _that_ bastard hurt you?" his eyes were blazing.

Christine didn't reply and turned her eyes away from his, but he had enough time to see everything he needed in the sad depths of her eyes and in the slight tremble of her lower lip. His stomach tightened like he was receiving hard punches, making him see stars.

He pulled away as gently as he could.

"I'm sorry, Christine." He said with a hoarse voice "Had I known that I wouldn't have moved things so fast... If only I'd known..." he closed his eyes, he was mad at himself, why wasn't he there to protect her when his angel needed him the most? Why?

Christine lifted her hand and touched his arm.

"It's okay, Erik..." she started "I want to learn how it is. I want you to give me pleasure, I was so close... I'm sure that I can do it... _with you..._"

Erik was confused for a moment.

"I... I don't want to hurt you, angel..." he heard himself saying as his body sought the silky warmth of her own, sliding softly and carefully inside her, and shivered when he felt her accepting his hard flesh calmly.

"Tell me what you need, Christine... How fast, how slow..."

She moved her hands on his buttocks "I just need you..." she said "I have never felt like that before."

She let a breathless sigh escape as he began moving inside her, setting a faster rhythm as time passed caressing her, trying to see how much or how little she could bear, measuring her reactions, catching her body's beat, and observing the many different emotions on her face.

He understood when she was close to climax. She could feel it on her body and he could see the sweet agony on her characteristics. He felt the first shiver claiming her body, he heard her startled scream and then her entire body convulsed under his, something that made him lose control and give in his own pleasure. And then he fell on her like a castaway, his perfect side on the soft skin of her neck.

When he finally got the power to lift himself, Erik saw Christine crying. Not loud sobs, only silent tears that tore his heart apart.

He caressed her hair and pulled it away from her sweating face, his thumb trailed the fullness of her bottom lip as she was biting it.

"You are amazing." He told to her "Truly amazing."

Her eyes were still blurred and she couldn't focus on his face yet.

"I never understood how... how incredible this could be..." she murmured.

Erik kissed her forehead "It becomes even better when your body knows what it needs. I'll continue learning about your body... how it reacts, what it wants, what it likes, how gentle, how rough it wants it." He kissed her passionately trying to show without words how he felt about her.

She then looked at him, clearly vulnerable, something that he had never saw in her face before.

"Did I please you?" she questioned.

Erik frowned; hearing the doubt in her voice, but at the end he smiled, a full smile and moved on top of her again.

"How could you ever doubt that, my angel?"

Christine for the first time touched his mask and played with its edges.

Erik stiffened momentarily but he then focused on what she was saying.

"I always felt like I was a failure... sexually..." she said too quietly "Raoul never touched me during our engagement... he only kissed me and held my hand..." she inhaled deeply and continued "I never understood that he was having affairs. And he continued having them during the biggest part of our wedding."

Erik tried to comprehend that information. He had always believed that Christine didn't speak about Chaney's affairs because being his wife gave her validity. _Was he wrong about that?_

"When did you find out?" he asked.

She turned away "Exactly after our wedding, I found him in a rather... eeer... compromising position."

Erik's stomach had tightened painfully. "What do mean by that?" he clenched his teeth.

He cheeks turned red and she preferred to avoid his gaze "He was..." she stopped and cleared her throat "His secretary was taking good care of him."

Erik cursed Chaney loudly and pulled away from her. _"That son of a bitch dared to hurt my Christine. He's lucky that he's six feet below..."_ he grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist and began pacing in the room.

"For god's sake, Christine, why the hell didn't you say anything? You could have ended the marriage. Even then it wouldn't be too late."

Christine stood up too, holding one of the sheets tightly to her body. She swallowed while tears were ready to leave her eyes.

"My parents had been having a very hard time. Another scandal would do them no good. I couldn't cause more problems. Mum was so proud about the wedding... so proud that she had found the courage to stop her sedatives. How could I do that to her?"

Erik felt angry "I swear to god that if I were there I would have stopped it. But you made sure I wouldn't be there, didn't you?"

Christine bit her bottom lip.

"I didn't want to depress mum and dad, Erik!"

Erik approached her slowly, dangerously... his hand moving to his mask. "Didn't your husband tell you that he was the one who did this to me?"

With that he pulled away his mask and Christine gasped at the monstrosity hidden underneath.

What she saw looked nothing like the scar she remembered he had... Now, a large piece of skin was missing and it was full of scars.

She was paler than a ghost as she looked at him with her mouth wide open "No... _No..._"

He caught her hand and pushed her palm against his damaged skin "He made his bodyguards hold me down... the three of them" he said bitterly, Christine was now sobbing "And then he got a knife and dipped in on my face, cutting, slicing..." he pushed her palm harder "... and when he was satisfied he stood up and planted the heel of his shoe on the opened wound, telling me that this was a gift from you!"

* * *

**A/N: so, how was it? just let me know ;)...**


	10. And the truth comes out

A/N: Hellooo! No, I'm not dead... I'm very much alive but my muse was resting several feet below :P... Writer's block totally killed it :P...  
I feel a little rusty actually, but let's see how it goes :)...

I want to thank everyone who reviewed last chapter (sorry guys, no personal responses this time :(...): **Thaovyphantran**, **Kuroneko388**, **JacobLuver226**, **MarcoHietala'sAngel**, **Balack88**, **Me**, **ABC**, **JadeWilliams**, **Mayirella**, **forbiddenluv**, **MmeButterfly**, **a super cool reader**, **123456**, **Phantomforever**, **romanticfan**, **erikismyangel**, **gabelle **and **Chip9**... YOU GUYS ABSOLUTELY ROCK!

so... without further ado... here is chapter 10... no sweet pillow talk for our couple ;)...

**Beta: The Ashes Fan, you're really amazing hun ;)!**

**Disclaimer**: I DO NOT OWN PotO or the main plot of the story.

HOPE YOU ENJOY IT!

* * *

**Chapter 10: And the truth comes out...**

Christine thought she would faint. She felt like _she_ was the one who had received that brutal attack that Erik had just described.

She turned her face away shocked. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't speak. Words were stuck behind a large knot in her throat. Erik had been attacked and all these years he had believed _she_ was the one behind it. _Yes..._ she had indeed talked to the head of her father's security guards, Tony Smiles, and asked him to forbid Erik's entrance in the church the next day. But she had also told him to avoid using any kind of violence. After all, Tony wasn't a person like that. He was a loving husband and father, a little rough on behalf of his job, but he would never participate in that disgusting act. The only thing she had asked him was to tell Erik that he wasn't welcomed in the ceremony.

"N...no... NO!" she shouted. "I never asked for anyone to hurt you. You _have to_ believe me, Erik. Why would I do something like that?"

His eyes were as hard as diamonds, his face as hard as granite. "You always looked down on me, since the very first time I entered your house. Have you forgotten how much you enjoyed teasing me, Christine? Have you forgotten the numerous times you told me to meet you and you never appeared while laughing with your stupid rich friends behind the bushes?"

Christine's eyes were burning in shame. "I know that I was awful towards you." She said. "I have already explained to you the reason why... I was _jealous_ of your strong friendship with Nathan. He never had time for me when you were around."

"Nathan had many friends..." Erik clenched his teeth "Chaney being an example... why me?"

"That was different. Nathan and Raoul had been together since school. Also, Raoul was the son of mum's best friend. He used to come to our house even before my birth. I was used to sharing my brother with him. That was the only thing I knew."

His gaze was still nailed to hers, hard, inaccessible and utterly angry "You deny that you asked Chaney to keep me far from the ceremony?"

Christine pursed her lips "Of course I do!" she stated "I admit... I talked to Tony Smiles, you know him, but only in order to disallow you entrance in the church. I never talked to Raoul about that..."

Erik stared at her face for several intense moments, trying to find out whether he should believe her or not. She was right, he knew Tony, _he_ wouldn't act like a coward.

"Did anyone overhear you when you were talking to Tony?" he questioned.

Christine's mouth went wide "I... I don't know... I was too upset. I wasn't looking around to see if anyone was listening."

"Without a doubt Chaney was listening."

Christine frowned. "You left the country." She whispered. "That's what everyone told me."

"That I did." Erik admitted "After that..." he clenched and unclenched his left fist "... incident, I wanted to be alone." _I didn't want you to see me like that..._ he closed his eyes momentarily. "When I returned, no one really questioned my mask... Perhaps they thought I was just being eccentric... like many other times." he growled.

"Why didn't you go to the police?" she firmly questioned.

"Did you want me to expose your parents to a scandal involving their beloved daughter?" he asked and rose his unmarred eyebrow. "I may be kind of... tough for your taste, Christine, but I do have feelings and a sense of honour."

She curved her shoulders, her world was shattering. He hated her all those years for something she was _supposed to have done_ but he had never harmed her family or her. He had never spoken to her parents about it, she was sure of that. On the contrary, his anger and wrath for her were slowly boiling deep inside him, waiting for the right moment to extract revenge. By asking for his help _that_ day, she had entrapped herself.

Her eyes met his again. "Is this why you forced me into this marriage?" she raised her voice "You wanted me to pay for what you _thought_ I had done, caging me in a marriage without love?"

His expression wasn't apologetic at all. "I told you the reasons I wanted this marriage to take place." Erik determinedly stated.

"Ah, yes!" Christine spat angrily "You desired me for many years and you wanted to set your hands on me."

His eyes burned like liquid fire and sparkled with irony "I didn't hear you saying 'no' some time ago." He claimed while purposely moving towards her "To be honest, I remember you _begging_ me to make love to you."

Christine moved away abruptly... she couldn't bear his ironic words about her desperate need for him. No matter how angry she was, she still felt her blood running hot in her veins, the heady sensation of his body on her... _in her_... the way he had made her feel. Her body still craved him. If she wasn't on a pill to fix her cycle she might have already become pregnant with his child... the child he had paid her to carry...

At that thought her knees bent. Erik hadn't married her for the right reasons; however, she was sure he would make a wonderful father.

"Don't you have anything to say, Chrissie?" he asked "Where are your quick-witted replies now?" the hatred crystal clear in his tone.

Christine inhaled slowly and looked at his face, never looking away from his deformity "I am sorry for what happened that night." She gained her pride back "I know that you don't believe me... that you may never believe me... but I had nothing to do with that. Raoul might have listened to me talking to Tony, but, even if he didn't listen to me then, he had a serious reason to keep you away from our marriage."

"And what reason might that be?" his gaze purely intense.

Christine bit her bottom lip, but never looked away "I'm not sure whether he saw us kissing the night before the wedding or not... I often wondered..."

Erik smirked "He was envious! You responded to me in a way which you would never respond to him. I don't blame him. I have thought of that kiss thousands of times and never... _never_ have I felt anything like that again. The feeling of your mouth on mine... was... unique..." he whispered the last phrase.

Christine felt warmth radiating from his words. It was like warm honey had replaced her blood. He had thought of the kiss, just like she had for all those years. What if she told him how alive she had felt that night? Like he had pushed a button on her body... a button that no one else could find.

She was attracted to him since then, regardless of the many years they hadn't seen each other, but she never admitted it, not even to herself.

'_I was always in love with him, but I trembled __at__ the idea of admitting it.'_ That was it. Christine felt like the fog inside her mind had vanished...

She was in love with him...

She had been attracted to him since the hormones had started changing her teenage body. In a way, her body had identified him as its mate, the male who could satisfy her needs, but she had sent him away from fear... insecurity and pride.

Would her parents have gone against her will, had she told them that she loved Erik and not Raoul? After all, they had accepted her marriage to Erik now without any comments. Even her mother had burst into tears and hugged him as she welcomed him to the Daniels family... 'O_r whatever is left __of__ the Daniels family.'_ she thought as an image of Nathan penetrated her mind.

Nathan adored Erik. They had been friends almost since the beginning and after some time they had become best friends.

But Nathan had ended his life.

'_While his best friend was hundreds of miles away looking after his ill mother.' _Christine suddenly realised.

"What's the matter?" Erik's voice interrupted her thinking. "You look pale."

"I'm fine..." she only said and shook her head in an effort to settle her thoughts. "I'm just thinking... trying to understand all these things."

"These things happened in the past; we shouldn't let them affect our relationship now." He paused. "Since you claim you had nothing to do with what Chaney did, then I have to believe you."

Christine couldn't believe her ears; after all _he_ had started it. "How can you be sure that I wasn't involved? You don't trust me. You have no reason to trust me." She spat.

Erik leaned backwards against the wall and crossed his arms in front of his chest... she was smart. "Once I become 100% sure you weren't involved I'll be the happiest man on Earth." He closed his eyes and sighed. "I wouldn't want our children to ever think that their mother wanted to kill me." Then he re-opened them and they were blazing with something that made Christine walk back in alarm as he walked towards her.

* * *

**A/N: so, how was it? just let me know :)...**


	11. Tension, tension, and more tension

A/N: Hello everyone! I hope all of you are well :)... I want to thank all of you who reviewed, fav'ed this story etc, it s really great to know that you enjoy it :)...  
This chapter took me quite some time and i have to admit i m not fully satisfied with the result... tbh this is the 2nd version of chapter 11 :/ the 1st one was deleted as soon it was finished...

anyways...

For my anonymous reviewers :):

**MarcoHietala'sAngel:** hahaha... yeah, i am a little bit ;)... i hope this chapter makes up for my previous cruelty ;)... thank you so much for reviewing!

**m'n'm:** thank you so much :), i m glad you enjoy it so far...

**MmeButterfly:** yep, i m pretty sure that writer s block has left me for good, although i have to admit that i still struggle :)... thanks a lot for reviewing...

**ABC: **thank you so much :D... i m really thrilled that you like my story, i hope you enjoy the rest of it too ;)...

**Balack88: **xD i cannot help it with the cliffies some times ;)... i m sorry for that *smirks*... i hope you enjoy this chapter...

**123456: **no need to worry... honest :)! If for any reason i stop writing this story or any story i ll let you know...

**Me: **i m glad it did :)...

**Phantomforever: **thank you so so much for you kind words :)... i m more than happy that you still enjoy this fanfic :)...  
and yes, you are right ;)... we cannot enjoy the ice cream without the cake ;)...

**JacobLuver226: **haha you shouldn t thank me :)... i am the one who should be thanking you for reading my story :)...

**romanticfan: **hahaha i m soooorry for leaving it like that *hides under her desk*... i hope this chapter is what you ve been waiting for ;)...

Phew... i m pretty sure i write the longest A/N's in FFN xDxDxDxD...  
so... without further ado... here is chapter 11...

**Beta: The Ashes Fan, thank you so much for your patience :)!**

**Disclaimer**: I DO NOT OWN PotO or the main plot of the story.

HOPE YOU ENJOY IT!

* * *

**Chapter 11: Tension... tension... and more tension...**

_"I wouldn't want our children to ever think that their mother wanted to kill me." Then he re-opened them and they were blazing with something that made Christine walk back in alarm as he walked towards her._

"You seem quite rushed to have an heir." Christine said "What if I am not able to have any babies?"

"Do you have any reason to suspect that you can't have children?"

"Would you cancel our agreement if I couldn't?" she spat.

His gaze captured hers, making her lower her eyes, something that annoyed her but it was impossible to avoid.

"No..." he replied softly "If you can't give me an heir normally, then there are many other options."

"What if I don't want to have a child now?" Christine asked and paused a little and then she added "What if I don't want any children at all?"

The silence that followed seemed to swallow the distance between them.

"Do you have any special aversion against motherhood?" he asked her.

"Not really..." she started and waited a moment before continuing "I just despise the fact that someone would make me have children according to his decision and not mine."

"Having a child must be a common decision." Erik said; his eyes still on hers. "If you are not ready yet, then we can wait till you are."

"You don't even like me!" she protested and frowned with rage. "How is it possible to think that you can have a child with me?"

His gaze travelled on her sheet-covered body showing possession and arrogance. "Because I always wanted you, Christine..." He growled and Christine shivered. "You are my nemesis, my other half, my completion and that was confirmed when we made love. I always knew it would be like that between us. I just had to wait until you were ready to see that too."

Christine felt the need to keep some distance between them "What if Raoul hadn't died? Would you continue this vendetta?"

Erik shrugged "That would exclusively depend on you..." he replied "The night before your wedding I checked the situation. I was convinced that you weren't in love with Chaney and it seemed that I was right. No woman in love would react the way you reacted to my kiss..."

"So, are you telling me that you kissed me as some kind of experiment?" She stated with a pejorative tone in her voice.

"Kissing you was a desire I couldn't fight or resist." While saying these words he was slowly approaching her and when he reached her he kept her in place with his hands on her shoulders. "Just like I cannot resist you now, my angel. I want to feel the tremble of your lips beneath mine, the way your tongue shyly meets mine. I want everything, Christine. I want you all."

Christine would have pushed him away, but he had already brought his tempting, warm, naked body close to hers. With only a towel wrapped around his hips she was sure about his erection. Her body was also ready under the thin material of the sheet. Her hard nipples were clearly shown, craving his touch. Her mouth half opened the moment his captured it.

The kiss was like two flammable materials making contact. The fire made their blood boil inside their veins, making every cell come alive. Their tongues met with a wild sexual need. Her need was growing slowly whereas his was pressing and utterly, irresistibly male.

"You do know that I want you again, don't you?" he murmured on her lips, as his hands travelled on her slowly pulling the sheet that covered her naked body.

"I want you too." Christine said while kissing his mouth playfully "I want to feel everything again. Make me feel everything again."

She didn't have to ask twice. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. They wanted the madness of the ultimate bliss. They didn't want to think at that moment... they wanted to feel only...

The way she shivered when his hands caressed her... the way her eyes sparkled with lust and the way her lips softened, half opening in order to receive his deep kisses. God, no woman had done that to him before. With her he would always try to keep himself under control...

"Erik?" her low voice caressed the nape of his neck, her lips touching his hot flesh.

He put his hand behind her neck, and stretched his fingers in her silky hair to steady her and keep her that close to him so that he could feel her heart-beat.

"Don't speak, baby..." he whispered and looked deep in her eyes "Just feel..."

Christine batted her eyelashes and closed her eyes as his mouth conquered hers once again, feeling her head swirling from the contact. His kisses made her forget the past and concentrate only on that moment and the way he made her feel or how her body reacted to him.

His kiss made her body shiver and turned her already hot desire even hotter. It was throbbing in her lower abdomen, bursting inside her breasts, making them ready for his touch. Her hands caressed him, travelling on his body until her fingers wrapped around his manhood and pumped him slowly at first, more firmly and faster after she heard him moaning and growling.

Erik immediately pulled her hand away from his erection, holding it above her head as his lips met hers once again. Christine's back touched the wall behind her as he led her to a fire of senses. She could swear that he could hear her heart-beat, and her feet were hardly supporting her.

He pulled his mouth away from hers only for mere seconds. He pushed her towards the bed and kneaded her breasts, as he gave them hot, suckling kisses until Christine began writhing beneath him.

Erik nailed her with his weight "I was thinking of doing _this_ for a long time now." he moaned on her breast and bit her nipple gently "I don't think that there's another man in the world that wanted a woman more than I want you."

Christine was well aware that he _only_ felt sexual attraction. He had never spoken to her about any other emotions. At least he wasn't lying like Raoul, but she was painfully disappointed that her love for him wasn't returned. She was bound to fall for men who wanted to take advantage of her. She wondered if she would ever be loved for what she really was... She craved the safety, the warmth and the security of the love which wouldn't fade no matter the passing years. However, Erik wanted children with her... an alloy of their blood and DNA. But how could she agree to a plan like that without the assurance that he felt something more for her apart from lust?

"Erik?" she said, touching both his cheeks and running one hand on his unshaven chin, before she could stop herself.

He turned and gave a kiss at the centre of the palm that was on his marred cheek "Do we have to talk now, my sweet?" he asked in a low voice with his eyes half closed with desire.

"Do you still hate me?"

His azure eyes widened and focused on hers. "No!" he said as he exhaled "What I feel for you is not hatred."

Christine took a trembling breath "It's... it's not hatred?"

His eyes never moved "I wouldn't be here doing _this_ to you if I hated you, Christine..."

"Yes, but you don't love me either." Christine insisted and after a moment she added "Isn't that right?"

He slightly frowned "This looks like a set-up question to me." He thoughtfully murmured "Is this some kind of condition so that I can make love to you? Do you want me to fill your head with empty words in order to satisfy my needs?"

Christine felt disappointed "I'm not totally de-coupled from my emotions and I don't believe that you are either..." she stated "You make love to me like you adore the ground I walk on, but you deny any kind of affection towards me. What am I supposed to comprehend from all of this?"

Erik put his weight on his elbows, still lying on her "Do you want me to tell you that I love you?" he questioned "Is that it? Is this what you want? To _pretend_ that I have emotions for you?" His mind protested at his lies but he didn't back off...

Christine blinked in order to hide her tears "No, I don't want you to pretend." She said trying to keep her voice stable. "That's not what I want at all..." _I want you to really love me..._

"_I love you, my angel" _his mind shouted but he wasn't ready to admit it yet.

"Why are my feelings so suddenly important to you?" he asked.

It was her turn to frown at his harsh tone "Because, almost every woman wants to be sure that the man who is with her, doesn't want her only for sex. Without feelings it's so derogatory... so inhuman."

Erik pulled himself away and stood, the sudden wave of cool air that Christine felt on her breast and stomach made her feel abandoned... not only physically but emotionally too.

She watched him grabbing the towel she had untied from his hips only moments ago, wrapping it around him almost violently.

In his eyes anger was mirrored and his entire body was tensed as he turned to face her "Is this what you think I am doing?" he took a step closer "Satisfying my desire without caring who you are and what you need? Didn't the last hour prove anything to you?"

Christine pursed her lips to ease their trembling. "You married me in order to have me on your own." she said "I am the precious prize that you missed in the past. You do know that I wouldn't have married you if it weren't for my parents."

"I never denied that I wanted you." He spat "But we don't have to perplex things by pretending we feel things that _we_ don't. We had great sex, that's for sure... in fact a lot better than what I thought it would be... but that doesn't mean that we have to pretend so that we can feel better about our lust."

Christine pulled the sheet up to her chin "I don't believe you would admit that you love someone even if you did. You wouldn't want anyone, especially a woman, to take the upper hand... let alone me..."

He mockingly laughed at her "Is that what you think? That I languished all those years away from you?" he chuckled and her blood froze.

Christine didn't know what to think. She was confused... so confused, and suddenly she felt more vulnerable than what she wanted to be. She was actually begging him to confess feelings that he so obviously _didn't_ have for her, not now, not ever... She was a fool, a romantic fool who was crying for a moon that she would never see rising-up the horizon.

She pulled her knees to her chest and totally covered herself with the sheet "I would like to stay alone," she weakly said.

Erik hesitated. He didn't want to leave her alone... not now that she would definitely burst into tears, but he just couldn't stay.

He had tried to hide his love for her under a veil of loathing, and he hated to admit that even when he was convinced she was behind the attack he still loved her. But her categorical refusal about her participation made him reconsider several things, but no... he wasn't ready to face Christine and admit his emotions.

Revenge was the first thing in his mind for a long time. Until several hours ago she hated him with an intensity that made her eyes sparkle each time their eyes met. But she had dissolved in his arms, as her body responded to his in a passionate vortex. _"On the other hand there are too many reasons that could explain that."_ he cynically thought. _"And first off the money I gave her. Besides, Christine admitted it only minutes ago." _But could she only be in love with his money... His mind refused to answer because he would go running back to her.

He swiftly pulled on his bathing suit "I'm going to go swim a little more." he announced "I suppose I'll see you later."

A muffled sound was heard beneath the sheet making him believe that she didn't care whether he would go swimming or jump off a cliff _"Something I obviously deserve." _Erik thought as he closed the door behind him.

* * *

**A/N: so, how was it? just let me know :)...**


	12. And the secrets won't end

A/N: a little update before the semester's examinations start… i apologise for the long wait but life is crazy at the moment… once the examinations are over i ll be back with more updates… till then i hope this chapter is satisfying enough!  
but before i want to thank you guys for bearing with me, your reviews are great and you cannot imagine how happy you make me :)…

to cut a long story short…  
responses to last chapter's reviews:

**romanticfan: **thank you so much for your kind words:)… i really appreciate them… E and C have some serious issues to work out ;) but their behaviour doesn t help at all ;)…

**Thaovyphantran:** haha i m glad you liked it and there s more to come… thanks for taking the time to review :)…

**forbiddenluv: **well… if they just admitted their feelings it would be too good to be true in my POV xD… but don t worry, they will sooner or later… thanks for reviewing :)!

**JacobLuver226: **xD and it ll get more dramatic in this chapter ;)… hope you like it… thanks for your review…

**Kuroneko388: **TBH i cannot be sure either xDxDxD… believe it or not Erik confuses me too 'cause he s hot and then cold and then too hot going back to ice etc xP… and to answer your question, no, she won t try to leave, she s too in love to do so ;)… thanks for reviewing :)…

**Marxist666:** thank you so much :) i m glad you like my writing and btw welcome aboard :)…

**archangelo137: **hahaha i couldn t agree more with you :D… let s say that in this case the physical contact is a way to prove to each other their love… it s what brings them together since none of them talks about their feelings, but even if one of them did, would the other believe?  
thank you some much for the lovely review :)…

**MarcoHietala'sAngel:** hahaha... ok i won t ask you what you expected xD…thanks for reviewing!

**123456: **i m really flattered :) thank you so much for your kind words, i m trying to do my best…

**a super cool reader: **xD i was aiming for that :P… i m glad you liked it and hope you enjoy this chapter too :)…

**MmeButterfly:** yes, you are right ;) this won t happen anytime soon *looks around* but it will happen sometime xP… thanks a lot for reviewing...

**ABC: **thank you so much :)... well… i do have something in mind about how they re going to confess their love for each other and to give you a clue, Christine will admit it sooner than Erik… Erik has to fight many demons yet ;)…

*ahem* back to business… here s chapter 12… and Erik continues giving Christine a Scottish Shower :P…

**Beta:**** The Ashes Fan :)!**

**Disclaimer**: I DO NOT OWN PotO or the main plot of the story.

HOPE YOU ENJOY IT!

* * *

**Chapter 12: And the secrets won't end****…**

Christine woke up in a darkened room and she had a feeling that someone was with her. She sat up; pulling her hair from her eyes, and saw Erik sitting on a chair close to the bed.

"What time is it?" she asked trying to sound cool and calm, even though what she felt was far from that.

"A little past nine."

"Ah..."

"We can still have dinner at the restaurant or order something... whatever you like." Erik said as he stood and stretched.

Christine wondered how long he had been sat there, observing her silently. "I need a shower." She announced. "Do you think that the restaurant will be open when I'm done?"

Erik turned on the light in the room. "You are a co-owner, Christine" he reminded her "If you want the restaurant to remain open for you then you only have to ask for it."

Christine held the sheet that she was wrapped in closer to her chin. "Stop joking, Erik" she spat "Please, not after what happened today."

"Is that what you think I'm doing?" he questioned and frowned.

She pouted "Look... I know that I'm not the best business mind on Earth, but I did my best to fill the gap my brother left."

"Is this why you are so willing to take the job over? In order to take Nathan's place? Although this isn't what you want?"

Christine preferred to pull the sheet even tighter around her instead of meeting his eyes "We do what we have to do." She sighed. "There is no return."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Christine finally lifted her eyes and met his "My parents depend on me, Erik." She said "Do you think that I would have come on my own accord to ask for your help? I did it only for them. I'm here now because of them... They have no one else in the world."

"So... you sacrificed yourself."

She only shrugged "Your words, not mine."

"But that's how you see it, isn't it?" He looked at her critically. "You, the princess, agreed to marry a country bumpkin in order to save your family."

Christine wrinkled her nose as she listened to the sadness in his voice. "I don't see you as a country bumpkin, Erik." She protested "I never thought of you like that."

His chuckle was dangerous "Good one, Chrissie. You almost got me. You sounded so convincing, but we both know that you'll always face me as 'the maid's son'. You married someone who isn't from your sparkling world. How are you feeling about that?"

Christine faced his angry gaze for a couple of moments before lowering her eyes slowly. "I have to admit that I feel a lot better comparing it to being married to Raoul." She said and then met his eyes again and added "Unless you are going to add to your accusations that I am also a snobbish bitch who needs a few slaps once in a while so that she keeps her head down."

The silence that followed was deafening... every breath made the air thicker.

Erik stared at her, his beautiful eyes now looking like a turbulent sea. "Are you telling me that he... _hit_ you?"

Christine nodded "Not all the time, but often enough to make me fear that he would do it again. I wasn't the woman he really wanted. His parents would never accept any of the women he was involved with, so he used me like a boxing bag every so often in order to control me. I learnt in a very short time to keep my head lowered."

Erik's stomach tightened. He couldn't feel his hands although he was clenching and unclenching his fists "Why didn't you say anything?" he angrily asked "For god's sake, Christine, you were living with him for years!"

Christine crossed her arms against her chest "I wanted to _shout _it numerous times." she admitted "But I would hurt a lot of people. My parents adored Raoul... he was like a second son to them. He had acted so nicely when Nathan died... he had helped them so much." She sighed deeply "And then there were his parents... His parents with the endless connections; and a family tree full of great lawyers. How do you think they would have reacted had I said that their beloved son was hitting me?"

Erik swallowed. He could see that it was an indescribable situation. The Chaney's would make everyone re-consider it before accusing one of their blue-blood heirs of something like that. Christine had lived in hell being married to a man who abused her. Chaney had used her as a shield, making Erik believe for all those years that she was the one responsible for his attack.

"I'm sorry." His voice was rough "I wish I knew what was going on. I wish you felt that you could turn to me for help."

"You were the last person who I would speak to." Christine sadly said "You tried to warn me about Raoul and my stubbornness and pride refused to co-operate and listen to you. Then, when I realised my foolish mistake I didn't want to hear you say _'I told you so.'_ I just couldn't..."

Erik scratched his temple "Everyone makes mistakes." He stated "Only god knows how many I've made. But because of the support and the guidance of people like your father I changed things."

"Some things cannot change." Christine sighed "After Nathan's suicide, I felt such guilt... I felt like I should do something in order to make my mother happy again and stop her sedatives. Dad focused on his job, but mum had no one... only me. I wanted to give her something new to attract her attention... a marriage... grandchildren... things like that. But I never stopped to think how I truly felt about Raoul, or... something even more stupid... how _he_ felt about me."

Erik caught her hand and brought it to his lips, pressing them softly against her knuckles. "Sweetheart, stop punishing yourself." He told her and caressed her cheek gently. "You were not responsible for Nathan's death. He had a problem... He didn't get the help he needed. There was nothing you could do."

His words were like an arrow through her heart. She would always feel that she should have done something.

Erik kissed her knuckles again. "All of us regret many things, Christine. Things we would have done differently, if we knew then what we know now."

She felt her breath catch "Does this mean that you want to end our wedding?"

He looked deeply into her eyes, trying to find something in their chocolate depths. "Is this what you want?" he finally asked "To be free?"

She couldn't bear his intense gaze, because she was sure he could see the desire and the desperation in hers "I'm not sure about what the media are going to say if we end our marriage the same day that it became known." She said "Then there are my parents of course..."

"I was thinking of exactly the same thing." He said in a small voice "Your father had a serious operation and it'll take him quite some time to fully recover. We cannot fly back to London and announce that we're divorcing."

Christine lifted her eyes again while stretching her neck "So... what are you suggesting?"

He stared at her "I told you from the very first moment that our marriage is not going to end. That hasn't changed..."

Christine searched his eyes, scrutinising his face, hoping... even begging... for a hint of his feelings. But she couldn't tell anything for sure, she couldn't read him. Suddenly, she started flirting with the idea of telling him that she was in love with him. She almost started rehearsing the words in her mind. She could already see the words in her head with capital letters: I LOVE YOU.

But something stopped her. He was still trying to comprehend all the things he had learnt from her that day. Her darkest secrets had come into the light and Erik was at the least shocked, but he also pitied her. She didn't want his pity though... she wanted his love and appreciation. And it would take her a lot of time to get the second one, as for the first one... she couldn't control it.

The only thing she knew was that Erik desired her, something she had been aware of for a lot of years. In the past she had had to fight her desire for him by behaving in an awful manner to him, rejecting him so that she would marry a man who not only took advantage of her in the worst way, but also planned an attack against Erik, scarring him forever and not only on his face.

Christine loved Erik for what he was now as much as she had loved him for what he was before. He had tried to save her from a catastrophic wedding. He had acted with responsibility, meeting her and asking her to re-consider. He had also offered to take the groom's place instead in order to save her reputation that day, but her pride hadn't let her.

Right in that instant she thought again about the moment when Erik's mouth had sealed hers. The passion's flames had wrapped around her like an uncontrollable fire in a forest, with such intensity like they were meant to respond to each other in that way since they were born.

Had Raoul climbed the stairs then and seen their fiery embrace? Or had he been spying on them earlier? Had he heard Erik's warning? And then, without wanting to give him another chance to talk bad about him he had come up with that charming way of his to make Erik leave.

"Christine?" Erik's voice brought her back to reality. "You aren't talking. What do you think? Do you agree that we should remain married?"

Christine tried to smile but her mouth twitched and the smile seemed unnatural. "I still do not understand why you wanted to marry me in the first place. I think that you paid a bloody large amount of money for a woman that isn't what you were expecting." She challenged him "You are unjustified Erik, and you still don't look concerned or annoyed at all."

This time he caught both her hands in his and squeezed them reassuringly. "If I'm concerned or annoyed about something it is about the way you were living while married to Chaney."

"It's not your fault." She interrupted him "You did the right thing... You found me and warned me, but I was too proud to follow your advice."

_"Should I tell him about Raoul taking cocaine?"_ the thought tentatively danced in her mind.

"Erik..." she finally started "Did you know that Raoul was taking cocaine too?"

"When did this start?" he furrowed his brow "Before your marriage or after?"

"I can't be sure." She replied honestly "I hadn't realised anything before. On the other hand I hadn't realised about his affairs either. I don't know." She exhaled.

"Did you ever think that it might have been Raoul who first gave Nathan cocaine? That he might have been his drug-dealer?"

Christine felt her heart stop "Oh no..."

* * *

**A/N: this is it for now... hope you enjoyed it and whoever has a couple of moments reviews are always welcomed :)...**


	13. Let's call it: Chapter 13

A/N: hello! I'm back again! faster than what i thought... a lot faster in fact ;P... tbh i wasn t planning on updating before i was done with the examinations but my fingers were itchy and i couldn t really concentrate on studying before writing this chapter :P...

so…  
responses to last chapter's reviews:

**( ): **i m so glad that you like my writing :)... it s true, sometimes i don t even know what to expect next either because i usually have a main plan in my head but while writing many different things come into my mind and most of the times i choose to follow them :P... thank you so much for reviewing :)...

**erikismyangel:** well... i m glad i updated too, i felt like i had neglected this story way too much :/...  
yes, you are right Raoul deserves everyone's hatred, i mean; even now that he s dead he still causes problems :P... oh that s very nice :D! i m really thrilled that i gave you a story idea ;)... and don t worry, muses do take several long hiatuses xP... thanks for revewing:)!

**me: **thank you so much :), i m really happy that you liked it... hope you like this chapter too :)...

**Thaovyphantran: **hey! I was fast, wasn t i ;)? I didn t make you wait long... hahaha...  
and yes... Raoul s the cause of Nathan's death :/... thanks for reviewing :)!

**gorbash33: **i m really glad you enjoyed it... thank you so much for reviewing :)!

**forbiddenluv: **hahaha... thank you so much... i believe exactly the same and it s kind of fun, isn t it? i mean having your better half next to you and not being aware of it :P...

**Balack88: **yes, i m afraid he is :(... Raoul doesn t stop causing problems even from 6ft below... thanks for your review...

**a super cool reader: **they don t, but they ll find out really soon ;D... thanks for reviewing!

**MmeButterfly:** aaaaw... thank you so much for your kind words :)... i really appreciate them...

**archangelo137: **hahaha don t worry, it ll stop sometime... and pretty soon tbh ;D... thank you so much for your wonderful review :D!

**MarcoHietala'sAngel:** yes, you re right, the last chapter was indeed full of information... but in my POV, this chapter has a lot more information *looks around and smirks*... hope you enjoy it :D... thanks for reviewing!

**123456: **hahahahaha... that s too tempting and such a good idea, and i think i would actually do the same thing ;P... thanks for reviewing!

*ahem* and here s chapter 13… as you ll notice, if you haven t noticed already that is :P... this chapter hasn t an actual title... that s because i couldn t find a proper title... each title i thought of was a SPOILER and i didn t want to ruin any surprise *angelic face*...  
anyways... this chapter is really really reeeeeeeeeally important...

**Beta:**** The Ashes Fan :)!**

**Disclaimer**: I DO NOT OWN PotO or the main plot of the story.

HOPE YOU ENJOY IT!

* * *

**Chapter 13: Untitled :P...**

"_Did you ever think that it might have been Raoul who first gave Nathan cocaine? That he might have been his drug-dealer?"_

_Christine felt her heart stop "Oh no..."_

Erik's expression was grim "You were a pawn in his game, sweetheart. I'm sure about that. He needed you as a screen in order to keep things calm, especially after Nathan's death."

Everything made sense now that she re-considered it. Raoul had become more interested in her after Nathan's suicide, insisting on marrying her as soon as possible, although she had had many doubts at first.

"Did you ever think of speaking to my parents the night before the wedding?" she asked.

Erik blinked and stared at her. "Yes." He finally said and tangled his fingers in his hair "I indeed thought of it and since then I've regretted that I didn't talk to them first. But I guess I found it right to start with you and make you see the mistake you were about to do before approaching them. One way or another, the decision was yours, you claimed to be in love with Chaney and although I always doubted that, I had no way to prove otherwise... Except for that kiss..."

_That kiss..._

That kiss... the kiss both of them had relived so many times. Christine felt a hovering inside her. She looked at his mouth, the sensual curve of it, his lips that her teeth craved to bite and her tongue to caress with soft movements until he took control of the kiss with his masterful, gentle ways.

Erik bent his head and the kiss became real, excitingly real, as their tongues met and their lips suddenly burnt from the mutual desire. Christine pushed her body against his, and after removing his mask she wrapped her arms around his waist. Then moving them downwards, she stretched her fingers on his firm buttocks in order to bring him closer to her body's imperative beat.

"Aaah no... it's too soon. Please stop so I can keep my self-control." Erik moaned on her mouth.

"Too soon? For you?" Christine inquired surprised, while nibbling on his bottom lip and swaying her hips against his hard erection.

"For god's sake, no!" he laughed and nibbled on her lips too. "For you, my sweet. You must be sore. You were practically a virgin. You're very tight and I'm..."

"So big... and I want you now." Christine interrupted him with a courage she didn't know she possessed. "Right now..."

His eyes were blazing with longing "Are you sure?" he asked her and caressed her cheek softly "There are... other ways to give you pleasure... without hurting you."

Christine's heart lost a beat. Didn't this prove that he cared about her? Why didn't he admit it? Did he think that she would use it against him? If only she hadn't rejected and laughed at him so many years ago.

"Erik..." she said, trying to collect as much courage as she could to tell him how she truly felt "There's something I want to tell you..."

He pecked her lips and then slowly he covered them with his own "You have this lovely but rather annoying habit of wanting to speak when I want you to feel." He said "What could be more important right now than feeling this..." He kissed her with passion and after a few seconds he moved his mouth to her neck and bit at her throat making her shiver "And this..."

Christine didn't have words to answer him. Everything she wanted to say; was said by her body. She writhed with lust in his arms, desperate to feel his touch electrify every cell of her body. Her breasts swelled and her nipples became hard, needing the caress of Erik's tongue and teeth to soothe their pain. She rubbed against him, throwing her head back in ecstasy.

His tongue engraved a sensual path from her neck to her breasts until he covered them and squeezed them with his large palms. It seemed like they swelled even more in his grasp and her nipples pulled his mouth to them like a magnet, as every movement of his tongue provoked one more sweet moan of surprise and bliss from her lips. She was so willing but he was so hesitant. He didn't want to hurt her. And hurt her he would if he didn't take into consideration her lack of experience.

He pulled away, trying to control his laboured breath, trying to control the wild hum of the blood in his veins, but her shy fingers searched for him and they found him as she pushed him on his back... And when her fingertips caressed him, arrows of wild desire hit him, leaving him breathless and mindless. He wanted to feel her mouth on him, the wetness and the velvet softness of it wrapping around him... her tongue playing with him... torturing him until he exploded...

He tightly closed his eyes as his dream came true. She was doing it according to the script he had created in his mind... Her hands wrapped around him, discovering his length, exploring every detail... from the pulsing veins along his length to the wet tip of it that waited for her honeyed, hard nub or the sweet caress of her tongue to invite him.

He arched his back as he felt her soft, wet mouth getting closer to him, while her shyness was part of her earth-shattering seduction. Christine didn't know what she was doing, but let her instincts guide her instead –and whatever she did proved to be right. His ears were buzzing; his heart was beating like crazy as she bent over him. The soft but persistent caress of her lips and her tongue drifted him from the kingdom of total control, to the vortex of wild passion... to the abyss of release...

Suddenly he was there, trembling and spasming uncontrollably and the force of his completion surprised him to no end. Even though he tried, half heartedly, to pull away at the last moment Christine kept him in her mouth and accepted all of him without pulling away not even for a second, without pushing him away... without being shocked from the way he responded to her. Instead she smiled at him, while trying to catch her breath, licking her swollen lips like she had just tasted the elixir of paradise, before leaning on his torso and laying a soft kiss at his marred cheek and then at the middle of his chest, where his heart was beating.

Erik laid his trembling hand at the back of her head, subconsciously caressing her silky tresses as his breathing returned to normal. He couldn't find the words to describe the way he felt. He was utterly surprised. He had had many lovers in the past but none of them had touched him like Christine had. But not only just then, but before too, when she gave herself to him while being so scared and afraid that he would use her without respect... without... _love_...

Did he truly love her? He felt like he did, but he wasn't really used to using the word love; at least not when it came to sex...

He knew that he loved his mother. He seriously doubted that there was another son who loved his mother that much. And he also loved his half-sister. Lucille Verones had found him after months of searching, trying to understand her place in the world as the illegitimate child of Percival Grudge, a well known personality in the business world, who stubbornly refused to recognise any of his illegitimate children like Lucille and Erik.

Percival Grudge thought that he had the right to seduce the young maids that came to his house; under the nose of his poor wife and his three legitimate children. But Erik suspected that, in addition to him, Lucille wanted to destroy Grudge and his fake facade. He was afraid though that in the end she would be more hurt than their emotionless father, so he would continue to protect her, even though the journalists always misinterpreted their relationship.

Paying for the Daniels' loan was part of his plan to act smarter than his father and everything else that had to do with the Daniels Company and resort was going according to his plans, with the extra bonus of marrying Christine Daniels. He had refused to let himself feel for her again, but still, even though his body ached and suffered from want, there were also many feelings which he refused to explain.

Christine seemed to be trying to make him confess his love, but he wasn't sure about her feelings. Money had had the power to make many emotions wake within in the women with who he had been involved with in the past. Which was the reason why young women of twenty and thirty years of age married men old enough to be their grandfathers - if not for the money, then what else? Newspapers and magazines were full of occasions like those, where rich men had beautiful women clinging to them claiming that they loved them.

Christine Daniels was used to a certain way of life, which she thought she would lose, so at the end she surrendered at the arms of the only man she had claimed to hate ever since she could remember. Changing now and saying that she had kind feelings for him was something he could hardly believe, despite the fact that the sexual chemistry between them was more than strong.

Then he started realising that, regardless what she felt or not, Christine had the right to know some more things about him and his past. But telling her about Lucille was something he would like to discuss with his sister first. Lucille was a very sensitive twenty-year-old girl, just a year younger than Christine when she had first married. Just like Christine, Lucille was confused and she was looking for an anchor. And Erik would be that anchor for her, at least as long as he needed to protect her from their ruthless father.

He looked at Christine who had fallen asleep in his arms. She was his wife now... That realisation made his blood boil. _She was his wife_. He had made her his wife not only in words and in papers, but also with the union of their bodies; a union that he could still feel running in his veins...

A union he wanted again and again...

* * *

**A/N: phew... that s it for now... what do you think? hope you enjoyed it because as i said before it s one really important chapter ;)...**


	14. Can it be Love?

A/N: Yay! Examinations are over! First off, I want to apologise for taking so long to update but I can assure you that now that I have quite a lot of free time I'll update a lot sooner :)...  
Thanks for bearing with me guys, you are amazing :)!

I also want to thank everyone who reviewed last chapter (sorry guys for not responding personally :(...): **ABC **(x2), **gabelle**, **Thaovyphantran**, **Me**,** Kuroneko388**, **Phantomforever**,** forbiddenluv**, **Ballack88**,** JacobLuver226** and **romanticfan**... YOU ARE WONDERFUL!

The brilliant and talented **The Ashes Fan **has done the Beta for this story, I wouldn't have done it without her. Thank you ever so much, my friend :D. All remaining mistakes are mine and mine alone.  
And something else, whoever likes the books **"Darkest Powers"** my Beta has started uploading a story of hers (finally xP) and you can find it here:  
**w w w (dot) f a n f i c t i o n (dot) n e t / s / 7 0 4 8 2 6 5 / 1 / T h e _ R e s c u e **(without the spaces)  
It s very good and i daresay that even though i haven t read the books the plot has captivated me...

so... without further ado... here is chapter 14... more emotions are being revealed ;)...

**Disclaimer**: I DO NOT OWN PotO or the main plot of the story.

HOPE YOU ENJOY IT!

* * *

**Chapter 14: Can it be Love?**

The next few days Christine almost fooled herself that the honeymoon trip with Erik was perfect, just like it would be for every newly married woman. With every sunny day that passed she felt herself blooming just like she felt every hot night in his arms... every hot night that left her sweating, out of breath and even more desperately in love. She spent her hours observing him, absorbing every smile he gave her, melting in every feather light caress as they explored the little ports and the seashores of the island; taking long walks in the tropical forest.

Her body felt different, so full of energy and life, something that she knew had nothing to do with the slight copper colour she had gotten from the sun or from the delicious foods she had tasted which made her body voluptuous. She felt like this because every nerve inside her was coordinated to Erik, as they were lying on the soft sand of the isolated beaches. One look from his beautiful eyes was enough to make her turn her body towards him, open her mouth to accept his, wrap her legs around his; as he began the sexual exploration of her body's curves until her blissful cries flew up to the sky like the wild seagulls around them.

It was nearly the last day of their stay at the resort and they had gone on foot to the most distant area of the island, where very few people decided to make this exhausting 3 hour walk to meet with the serenity of the most beautiful and peaceful beach. Erik had prepared a picnic basket with the resort's chef and he had taken some towels with him and a few refreshments for their walk.

After their meal that included chicken, a variety of cheese, fruit and a cold bottle of French champagne, they had made love on their towels until Christine felt her body transforming into a melting candle. She remained lying in his arms when the storm of completion calmed, holding her breath, with her eyes closed, listening to the lulling of the waves and enjoying Erik's caresses on her hair.

Erik's slow motions on her hair stopped and slowly his breathing became even, slow and calm and Christine realised that he had fallen asleep. She turned on her side, putting her weight on her elbow and looked at his sleeping form and felt her heart burst in her chest. He was mask-less, she was happy that he felt comfortable around her and didn't wear it. He was beautiful, no matter his marred cheek.

She caressed his scars and then moved her fingertips to the curve of his lips and slowly she bent and gave him a soft kiss on them. His lips moved slightly and she smiled, it was like he had recorded her touch and responded to it even in his sleep.

She carefully pulled away from his arms and walked to the sea, entering it until the water reached her knees. Then she dove and swam with a slow rhythm, enjoying the feel of the salty water on her sun-kissed skin. She had never swum naked until then and the feeling that it gave her was utterly liberating and erotic. The water was caressing her, making her realise how much more pleasure her body could take and give.

Erik might refuse to admit his feelings to her, but she was sure that he wasn't angry at her because of the past's mistakes. He was gentle, protective and made sure everything she wanted was granted. At the beginning she thought that he was doing it in order to fool the staff at the resort, but he continued acting like that even when they were alone. She liked the thought that he had begun to fall in love with her, but after her mistake with Raoul she couldn't trust her judgement anymore.

When she decided to return to Erik, a little while later, she found out that he was awake, sitting on the seashore and observing her with eyes that were blazing with desire as she walked to him. She felt a delicious shiver run down her spine as his gaze made the lust inside her erupt once more.

"You look like a goddess, sweetheart." He said as he stood, "A beautiful goddess that came up from the sea's depths to seduce this simple mortal."

Her eyes were magnetised by his erected penis that was throbbing, reacting to her. Her stomach nervously spasmed as she approached him and he pulled her to his body. So close that she could feel his need against her.

She giggled, "Yeah, sure. I'm sure I look like a goddess without make up on and my hair covered with salt." She told him and made a face.

Erik moved her wet hair from her face gently and whispered to her, "I think I've never seen you look more beautiful than in this moment." His hand moved to her buttocks and pulled her on his warmth.

Christine looked inside his eyes and her feet felt like gel. His hardness was pushing her abdomen impatiently, her breasts were pressing his chest and his male hair tickled and tortured her nipples.

She inhaled sharply as his head lowered and his lips covered hers with a need that was perfectly coordinated with her own. Her hands tightened on his butt in order to keep him in place, her tongue tangled with his in a sensual battle till she couldn't think of anything else but her urge to feel him deep inside her making her shiver and writhe beneath him.

Erik moved their bodies and made her lie down on the towels and after he left her mouth, he started caressing her soft globes with his wet lips and hot tongue. She arched her back in pleasure... a pleasure that only he could give her.

He entered her abruptly, making her moan as he penetrated her tight warmth deeply and felt her softness hugging his hardness. Erik thrust faster and harder with every passing moment, guiding his fingers between their bodies to multiply her pleasure. Her reactions weren't hesitant anymore. Her body reacted to him with an explosive force every time. Christine felt she would break into a million pieces and right then she reached her ecstasy and Erik followed her slowly. She adored the feeling of his climax, the way he drew in a breath and then let it out, either with a sigh, or, like now, with a wild, primal growl that made her skin crawl as she thought of the fact that she was the one who led him there.

She caressed his back, artfully relaxing every knot on his vertebrae, feeling his chest rising and falling on hers and his hot breath dancing on her neck.

"It feels very nice." He murmured with his lips stack on her jugular.

"I like touching you." Christine said as she kept on the motions of her hands.

He lifted onto his forearms and looked at her, "I like touching you too, sweetheart." His voice was hoarse, "I don't think that I'll ever grow tired of doing so."

She pursed her lips and lowered her gaze to his chin, "And what will happen when you do grow tired of doing so?" Subconsciously her hands ceased their movements on his back just like her breath in her lungs.

"There will be no divorce, Christine." He said and lifted her chin with his thumb and forefinger; making her meet his gaze again. "You know the rules."

Christine tried to sink her disappointment, but she didn't make it. "I imagine that when I stop giving you pleasure, you'll simply go to one of your lovers to satisfy your needs, right?"

His eyes challenged hers, "Do you really think that I'm that kind of man?" He asked and she thought she momentarily saw a trace of sadness in his eyes, "Didn't you learn anything about me these past couple of days?"

Christine bit her bottom lip in her effort to tame her feelings. "I learnt that you like sex... you like sex a lot." She said. "But as you said before we married, it's my body that you really desire.

Erik pulled away and stood. "Yes, well... many things have changed since then." _Dare I tell her?_ He turned his face away.

Christine frowned, "In what way do you mean?"

He turned to look at her, but the sun made it difficult to read her expression, "You're not the woman I thought you were when we married" He said, "I have re-considered many things since then."

She wetted her lips with her tongue. "And were one of those 'things' were to learn to like me instead of hating me?"

"I never hated you" He breathed. _If only you knew__..._ "I thought I... hated you a couple of times in the past, but I'm sure I never did, just like I don't hate you now." He admitted with a sigh.

Christine remained silent, feeling a tiny hope coming alive inside her.

"Christine..." Erik moved and the shadows vanished from his face, "I always kept my sex life separated from my feelings. This is the first time that I feel for a woman something different from lust."

"Are you telling me that... you love me?" Her small, uncertain voice pulled at his heartstrings.

He gave her a teasing smile, "If love is an unbearable tightness in the chest every time you see the person you're married to, then yes, perhaps I'm in love with you. Or I need to visit a cardiologist. What do you think?".

* * *

**A/N: And what do YOU think ;)? Oops! Cliffie, I know hehe... Hope you liked it ;D...**


	15. And the scenery is beginning to clear

A/N: Hello! This time I won't say much ;)… I want to thank everyone who reviewed, fav'ed etc this story… It really means so much to me to know that you guys enjoy it :)…  
So… we are getting closer to the end (there are another 1-2 chapters left) so things are getting better, but of course there are still some serious things that those two have to talk about ;D…

For my anonymous reviewers :):

**Me: **yes, i wanted him to be in character and i ll try to keep him like that ;)… thank you so much for reviewing :)…

**Canela: **he will tell her that he loves her, don t worry ;D… thanks for reviewing!

**ABC:** oh yes, i'm very happy i ve finished with my exams too, i had a really difficult month :/… i hope this is update comes soon enough ;)… thanks for reviewing :D!

**MarcoHietalasAngel:**thank you so much for your kind words :)… and yes, Erik's finally getting his head on straight ;)…

**MmeButterfly:** aaaw xP sorry for that… but i like cliffies xD… but i tried to update asap, hope you enjoy this chapter :D…

**123456:** looks like everyone waits for Erik to tell Christine that he loves her xD, and it will happen very soon ;)… thanks for reviewing…

And of course, the wonderful **The Ashes Fan **has Beta'ed this story. I owe her so much 3…  
And here i want to thank her SO MUCH for also accepting to Beta **"Judging by the Cover"**... the chapters will be replaced as soon as she finishes Beta'ing all the story and she's already done more than half of the chapters! She's simply aMAZing... THANK YOU, MY FRIEND :)!

The remaining mistakes belong to ME! MEHEHE xP...

so... here is chapter 15... and the teasing continues ;)...

**Disclaimer**: I DO NOT OWN PotO or the main plot of the story.

HOPE YOU ENJOY IT!

* * *

**Chapter 15****: And the scenery is beginning to clear…**

"_Are you telling me that... __Y__ou love me?" Her small, uncertain voice pulled at his heartstrings._

_He gave her a teasing smile, "If love is an unbearable tightness in the chest every time you see the person you're married to, then yes, perhaps I'm in love with you. Or I need to visit a cardiologist. What do you think?"_

Christine jumped upright and rushed into his arms, giving his face hot and fierce kisses. "I think that you are the most wonderful man I've ever met." She told him. "I love you so much. I never understood how much until recently."

"Do you love me enough to get rid of those contraceptive pills?" Erik asked, his eyes glinting with happiness.

Christine looked at him suspiciously, "You know about them?"

He only kissed her lightly on the forehead. "If you need more time, then we shall wait." He stated, "But I would like a family... a family with you. It's something I wanted for quite some time. I suppose the fact I was an only-child and grew up with just my mother is why I now crave a real family."

"I'll throw away my pills." She promised him. "I want to bear your children, Erik. I want to be the best bride for you; I want to make up for all the awful things I did to you in the past."

He held her curled into his arms, touching his chin to the top of her head. "We're different people now, Chrissie. Our past shouldn't dictate our future."

Christine leaned back with a frown and looked at him, "Why are you always calling me 'Chrissie'?"

His thumb caressed her chin softly and he smirked playfully. "It's a nice name, plus I know that it annoys you."

"Really?" She smirked back "Let's see then... Why don't I call you... Rick?"

Erik frowned and Christine moved on in a teasing tone, "No! I've got a better one... How about Ricky? Riri?"

"What?" Erik grabbed her and started tickling her mercilessly. "Absolutely not, my dear. I'm neither a puppy, a hamster or a canary."

Christine tried to push his hands away, alas in vain. Her laughter only grew louder...

"Okay okay, I'm kidding." He went on tickling her sides, "Please, I won't call you any of them... I swear!" Finally Erik's hands stopped torturing her and after she caught her breath; she stared seriously into his eyes, "I really like the way you say my name. No one pronounces it as you do. It makes me shiver... It always did."

"Oh really? Now... That's interesting..." Erik said with a grin. "And I thought that all those years you despised me."

Christine smiled sideways. "I believe that it's true what they say about love and hatred, that they are the two different sides of the same coin." She sighed, "I think I always behaved so badly towards you because I was afraid of the way you made me feel... Even when you first came to my father's house and I was little."

He encircled her face with his broad palms, "Are you still afraid of the way I make you feel, my sweet?"

"You make me feel safer than ever before." Her gaze was one of adoration. "I thought that I would never learn to trust another man after Raoul, but the past few days you chased away all my fears."

His eyes had a shadow of sorrow as they met hers. "If only I had protected you from his hands." He clenched his teeth, "Had I known what was going on, I would have sent him to jail... But only after giving him a taste from his own medicine. He chose you only because he knew you wouldn't be able to defend yourself. It's a miracle that he didn't..." He was obviously frightened. "God! I don't even want to think what else he could have done to you."

Christine took his unshaved chin in her hand, "I don't see myself as a victim anymore..." She caressed his scars and smiled as he nuzzled her palm, "I was a victim before... Not now..."

Erik kissed her gently, almost respectfully, "We'd better get back." He said when he stopped kissing her, "We have a long way to go and I want you to have time to rest for the things I have in mind for later."

She gave him a lustful look as she picked up her bikini which was thrown on the sand next to their towels. "You mean that I have to wait till later in order to find out what those 'things' are?"

His eyes were burning and he grabbed her in a way that his torso stuck on her naked back; making every line of their bodies touch intimately. Their desire was enflamed...

"Hmmm, maybe we can re-schedule our programme a little." He hoarsely told her and started nibbling at the soft flesh of her ear with his teeth.

"I'm ok with that." Christine sighed blissfully as his erection was pushing against her bottom.

There was no end to his repertoire in sex. He always surprised her with the things he could do with his hands, mouth and body and she was even more shocked by the way her own body reacted to him.

Her need was so intense at that moment that she thought she would die if she didn't feel him inside her right then. But he made her wait, prolonging her torture until she started mewling, seeking the ecstasy she so desperately craved.

"Be patient, sweetheart..." He said while caressing her soft, sensitised bud with an erotic promise, "You'll enjoy it a lot more if you wait for it."

"I want it now!" She stubbornly stated and pushed her lower body on his straining cock, "Don't make me wait anymore"

He chuckled and began entering her very slowly, just enough to open her but not enough to fill her.

"Tell me what you want, Christine..." The passionate whisper in her ear was her undoing, "Tell me what you want me to do to you."

"You know what I want you to do." Her breathless words were followed by the shameless rubbing of her body against his.

"Do you want me to do... This?" He asked and slipped inside her with a slow, strong thrust. Her walls clenched around his hardened flesh, lubricating him even more and making him growl.

"Oh god, yes!" Christine screamed and blindly grasped his thighs in an effort to steady herself.

"And this?" Erik started moving inside her, so deep and unbearably slowly.

Christine felt every cell of her body crying for more, faster and deeper penetration.

"Yes... yes..." She shouted breathlessly.

His hands moved at her hips and entered her even deeper, his rhythm gaining momentum with every passing second. His cock was tearing her apart but she loved it, she felt complete with that man.

Erik felt the first spasms around his erection and then her tightness clenched around him almost painfully. Her body was shaking and he followed her swiftly.

Christine felt every moment of his completion, the way the muscles of his thighs tightened on her, the way he inhaled and then suddenly he pushed his pelvis into her like he was trying to fuse their lower regions. His essence filled her womb and they sighed in unison.

Erik kept her in his arms and tried to catch his breath, but it was difficult. Christine had the ability of driving him utterly crazy; destroying every sense of control he fooled himself that he still had. He was totally submissive... He loved her... He always had...

All those years he was fooling himself by saying that he felt nothing, but the truth was that he wanted only her, he always loved her. She was his better half... The problem was that he had found that out very soon after meeting her and he had frightened her away with his fierce, imperative character... As a result he had sent her into the arms of another man.

He covered her breasts with his hands, reluctant to let her go, with his body calm now but still inside her own.

"Do you think that you could find your way back in the darkness?" He asked, "You know this island better than me."

Christine turned slowly inside his embrace, feeling him leaving her body inch by inch, and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Would you mind if we stayed here all night?" She questioned, "I don't want this magical moment between us to end."

He gave her a thoughtful smile. "We have to fly back home tomorrow, sweetheart." He reminded her. "Back to the real world."

"I know... But I don't want anything to change." She determinedly said, "I want to be the best wife for you. I don't want to disappoint you."

Erik smiled at her and hugged her tightly. "You won't disappoint me, my angel." He caressed her lips. "I'm sure about that."

* * *

**A/N: so... what do you think :)? hope everyone liked it ;D...  
Of course i shouldn't forget to thank everyone who had suggested nicknames for Erik on chapter 5: **Kuroneko388**, **Wandering-Phantom**, **PeggyPegs**, **forbiddenluv**, **Thaovyphantran**, **MarcoHietala'sAngel**, **MmeButterfly**, **IamthePhantomoftheOpera**, **a super cool reader **thank you guys!**


	16. Returning Home

A/N: Hello everyone! Yes, I know it s been MONTHS since I last updated. Sorry, for that, but life was and continues being crazy!  
Generally this period I have very few hours for myself as I am at the university for 8 up to 12 hours (sometimes more) everyday. And unfortunaly tomorrow is one of "those" days that I have to be there for more than 12 hours (i estimate around 15-16 *DUUUUUUUUUUH*). Right now it's one thirty in the morning and i must be up in 4-5 hours and rush at the university in order to collect virgin flies of all things... and that s not a joke xP... if they re not virgin I ll have a problem with my experiment's results ¬.¬...

Anyways, from virgin flies to Passion and Vengeance :P... There s only one chapter left, and an epilogue of course which will be posted with the last chapter...  
I have to say that both chapter 17 and the epilogue are already written and sent to my wonderful Beta **The Ashes Fan**, so as soon as i get them i ll upload them :)...  
I also want to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter: **ROMANTICFAN, The Ashes Fan, Thaovyphantran, JacobLuver226, MmeButterfly, ONEoutOF10, a super cool reader **and **Ballack88**...

Tbh I haven't been on FFN since I last updated and I felt like a bucket of cold water was thrown on top of my head as I noticed the numerous E/OW stories I was like "WOW!" (there were always E/OW stories but I do not recall seeing that many at the same page before O.o), of course I have no problem with them, but pardon me because i think Christine is the only woman for Erik xD...

*ahem* back to the story ;)...

The remaining mistakes are mine and mine alooooooone... xP

so... here is chapter 16 with a little tension before the end... and of course ^.^ LEMONADE FOR EVERYONE ;)...

**Disclaimer**: I DO NOT OWN PotO or the main plot of the story.

HOPE YOU ENJOY IT!

* * *

**Chapter 16: Returning Home...**

Christine sat next to Erik on their flight back home, her fingers enlaced with his and her head against his shoulder. However, her heart was still back on the island.

She thought of their last night there...

_Erik had gone for a walk and she took a shower and prepared herself to go to bed. Suddenly she heard steps behind her and before she had the time to react, a strong hand wrapped around her neck and another wrapped around her waist and pulled her against a firm chest. _

"_Calm down..." __A__ very familiar, deep voice whispered with a chuckle__,__ "You are so beautiful, Christine..." __H__e purred on her soft neck and nipped her gently there._

_She immediately calmed down and he turned her in his arms until his face was mere inches away from hers._

_Without losing a second, his lips captured hers in a very passionate kiss. She was unable to resist and her mouth opened under his with the first touch of his warm tongue._

_Erik moved his lips away from hers and licked Christine's jawline till he reached the soft spot under her ear. She moaned and drove her hands, which lay lifeless at her sides, into his thick hair and pulled him closer._

"_Mmm... you taste wonderful..." __H__e said between nibbles on her neck._

_He was tormenting her and showed no mercy. The sensation of his tongue on her flesh after every bite felt like heaven._

_He cupped her breasts over her thin robe. Her nipples hardened at his fingers' __caresses__._

_Christine whimpered and he swallowed her whimpers with another attack of his lips._

_Then he moved lower, Christine bit at his earlobe and soothed the bite with a flick of her tongue. Erik groaned and his mouth finally made contact with her breast over the fabric of her robe. _

_It was obvious that she wore nothing underneath. That made him harder and __he pulled her buttocks__ over the bulge of his jeans. Christine sighed at the contact and started rubbing herself against his hardness._

_She felt so sexy, only Erik could make her feel like that, and she brought one hand over his member and kneaded him even harder when she heard him hiss. _

_He started pushing her back to the bed and helped her lie down on her back._

"_I promise you, I'll do everything in my __power__ to make you happy." __H__e ensured her._

_Christine sighed and pulled him down for a kiss__,__ "You already have, my love. I want you! I want you so badly." She said against his lips._

_He stopped her abruptly and stared inside her eyes, they were dark from desire. The primal instinct took over. Christine tore his shirt __off__ and ran her fingers over his sculpted torso. Erik shivered and got rid of her robe as fast as he could. He left her in just her panties. Without warning he started suckling at her neck and her breasts. Meanwhile she removed his mask and let it fall on the floor._

_Erik once again tore her panties __off__ and bit the inside of her thighs. When her lower lips were touched by his tongue, she let a scream escape her lips. He put two of his fingers inside her wet lips and she shivered, fisting her hands on the sheets._

_Her taste was so sweet... His body cried for release._

_Christine couldn't take it anymore. She reached for him and after a few fiery kisses she drove her hands to his pants. Erik helped her unbuckle them and with her feet moved the jeans down his legs and off his feet. She wrapped her legs around his waist then and he entered her wet core with a strong but short thrust._

"_Erik..." __S__he moaned._

_Erik after hearing her plea started driving his angry shaft even more powerfully, ever deeper and harder in her nether lips. He was large. Her soft core hurt from his merciless attack. Christine bit his shoulder and scratched his back with her fingernails. He growled and moved more violently inside her._

_He tore her apart until he made both of them explode from bliss._

She almost cried as she prepared their luggage. She wanted the magic of their honeymoon trip to continue. The safety she was feeling while staying at the island now gave away its place to endless uncertainty.

Erik was silent during most of the flight. He was playing with his watch like it was the most exciting thing in the world, when, only mere hours ago, Christine's body had his full attention.

"Are you alright?" She asked him.

He turned and looked at her with an expressionless face. "Sorry, Christine, did you say something?"

Christine's brow furrowed, "I said, are you okay?" She then squeezed his hand, but after a moment he pulled it away and preferred to pick up the Flight Company's magazine.

"I'm fine." He told her while turning some of the pages with a frown on his face.

She paused and then opened her mouth again, "Did I do anything to make you act like this?"

Erik smiled hastily, "No... Of course not, sweetheart." He said and caressed her knuckles with his fingers, "I just have many things on my mind right now. Unfortunately some things, like the Company's problems, can't go on vacation."

Christine felt a thorn of guilt stinging her because all those days she hadn't asked him, not even once, about his job. She knew so little about what he was doing...

"Is there anything I could do to help you?"

Erik shook his head and his fingertips momentarily touched her cheek. "No, Christine. Right now I want you to focus on our family and your parents. Your father is doing very well but seeing you happy and satisfied will help him a lot more. And maybe..." He lifted his eyes to meet hers, "Maybe... a grandchild would make both of them happy... just like _me_..."

Christine made herself comfortable on her seat, closed her eyes and smiled as she thought of how she had gotten rid of her contraceptive pills. She caressed her flat stomach, while she was wondering how it would feel to carry Erik's child. Although it was impossible, because she had only stopped taking them only the day before, she wondered if she was already pregnant. Her pill had a very small dose and she took it more because it helped her with her period than with actual contraception.

She took his hand again and caressed his long fingers. "Thank you, my love, for everything you made me feel. The last week was so special to me." She sighed, "It was the perfect honeymoon."

He covered her hand with his own and gave her another smile, but Christine couldn't help but realise that it was forced, "It was my pleasure, baby." He ensured her.

Then Christine decided to try something, so she leaned towards him and whispered on his lips, "I love you."

He slowly pecked her on her lips and pulled away immediately. "I know that you love me." He only said and looked out of the window.

Christine's doubts were confirmed. Why had he pulled away so abruptly? And why didn't he tell her that he loved her back? Then she recalled the time they had made loved on the beach... He hadn't told her that he loved then either. He had insinuated it, but he hadn't openly admitted his feelings. She had _foolishly _rushed to confess her love for him; she had carelessly thrown away her pills and had promised she would give him the heir he so much wanted.

What if that was the only thing he wanted from her? What if after giving him that heir he decided that he didn't need her anymore? He always said that there would be no divorce; but that didn't mean he wouldn't change his mind sometime in the future.

Everything had happened so fast. Her father's heart attack and the problems with his Company; sent her swiftly into Erik's orbit.

Christine didn't have the opportunity to speak privately with Erik again because as soon as they disembarked and retrieved their luggage they found their driver waiting for them.

They went to the hospital to visit Christine's father and then Erik went to his office and Christine to his house.

He gave her a short impersonal kiss before he left and walked away.

Christine leaned backwards against her seat and sighed as the car entered the traffic. She had hoped that Erik would have done all those traditional things, like carrying her in his arms when they reached their house, maybe continue carrying her like that till he reached their bedroom and their bed in order to make love to her. Alas, he had gone to work like the last week never existed. He didn't even give her a second glance as he crossed the building's entrance.

As soon as the driver carried the couple's luggage in the house and left; Christine took a shower and went to walk out in the large garden. Although everything was clean and tidy there was no sign of anyone else apart from her in the house, but she was content; she didn't want anyone watching her as she made herself at home.

...

A couple of hours later she decided to return back at home and she found Erik at one of the balconies, with his back facing her while talking on his cell phone. He was whispering, something that made her approach him silently. Her heart stopped beating for a moment when she heard his words.

"No, sweetheart." He said. "It's not a good time to announce our real relationship to the world."

Christine felt a knife digging through her ribs, but found the courage to remain on her feet as she heard the rest of the conversation.

"I know." He said with a sigh. "I love you too and I want the world to know what you mean to me, but you know what journalists will say about it. It's too dangerous. I have many things at stake... and first off that matter with the Daniel's Company repurchase. I don't want to endanger anything until everything is safe, something that won't happen until the end of the next week."

A pause followed as Erik listened to the other person. Christine's heart was in pain, it was thundering in her chest every moment that passed... with every condemning word that left Erik's mouth.

"Listen, sweetheart." He continued "I spent a lot of money to come to this agreement. I don't want anything to ruin it. We have to move cautiously. There are many people that we have to think about."

One more pause.

"I have to tell her at some point." He massaged his stiff neck with one hand, "She has every right to know. She's my wife now. But please, let's leave it for a couple of weeks, okay? Be patient... Oh! And I will send you some money in order to make yourself comfortable. Bye."

He waited and then chuckled. "I love you too. Bye."

Erik closed his phone and turned... and faced the white as a sheet face of Christine.

"Sweetheart..." He started, "I... didn't hear you coming."

Christine clenched her fists. "Leave the 'sweethearts' and your tricks, you double-faced knave." She spat full of rage.

He took a step closer to help. "Christine, you don't understand. It wasn't..."

"AH! I know what you were doing..." She interrupted him. "You were talking with _her_, were you not? Your lover... your secret sweetheart. The woman you _love._ I heard you telling it to her."

* * *

**A/N: so, how was it? just let me know :)...**


	17. Chapter 17 and Epilogue

A/N: Hello there :)! I hope everyone's doing great...  
So, in last chapter I had mentioned that that one was already written and post to my Beta. Unfortunately though, she's very busy this period and after several "threats" xD i received; on reviews and PM's, I decided to upload the chapter and the edited one will be up as soon as my Beta finds some free time (:...  
Consequently, I do apologise beforehand for all the mistakes . ...

Anyways... A big thank you to everyone who fav'ed, put this story to their alerts etc it's really very flattering to know that you like it guys :)!  
And of course a GREAT THANK YOU to all of you who found the time to post a review or a PM, it really means a lot to me hearing from you and your opinions and ideas...

**brontefan:** Yep, it was quite a cliffhanger and unfortunately it took me quite some time to update *apologetic look*... I hope this one makes up for my delay though :)... thanks for reviewing!

**ABC:** Thank you so much! Christine and Erik's happy ending is here, hope you enjoy it (:...

**Thaovyphantran:** Hahaha yes, it was ;D! And believe me, I enjoyed writing it thoroughly xD... Thanks for reviewing ;)...

**Me:** I know I know it was ;)... but here's the next chapter... hope it was worth the wait :)... thank you for finding the time to review...

**a super cool reader:** And I have to apologise once more for the delay of that chapter xD... hope you enjoy it...

**123456:** Thanks for you kind words (: it's really great to know that you people enjoy my story... thanks again!

**forbiddenluv:** Hahaha and your feeling is right of course ;)! Hope you enjoy this chapter :D! Thank you so very much for reviewing...

**Erik'sLittleLotte56:** Well... *smiles innocently* I left a cliffie like the last one because I am a meanie xDxDxD... Seriously though, I wanted to update within a week after chapter 16 but as I said before my Beta is quite busy :/ so... Anyways... thank you so much for reviewing!

**Tbnasib3:** xD I know exactly how you feel! Sometimes you're so sure about something and once you're proven right you feel sooo satisfied xDxDxD I'm the same way! Thank you so much for both reviews :)!

**No one in particular:** Hahahaha your review made me laugh so hard xD... Honestly at that point I would gladly crush her windpipe too ;P... thanks for reviewing!

**(*no name*):** xD your "threat" was the 3rd I received... and 3 is the final number so... here's your chapter! Hope you enjoy it ;)...

so... here is the FINAL CHAPTER and the EPILOGUE! I tried to change my writing style at the epilogue for good-mood's sake xD... Sorry but I couldn't end this story with so much build up tension and without some humour ;). Those of you who know me better know exactly what I'm talking about ;)...

Anyways... This chapter's mistakes are mine and mine alone!

**Disclaimer**: I DO NOT OWN PotO or the main plot of the story.

HOPE YOU ENJOY IT!

* * *

**Chapter 17**

_"I love you too. Bye."_

_Erik closed his phone and turned... and faced the white as a sheet face of Christine._

_"Sweetheart..." He started, "I... didn't hear you coming."_

_Christine clenched her fists. "Leave the 'sweethearts' and your tricks, you double-faced knave." She spat full of rage._

_He took a step closer to help. "Christine, you don't understand. It wasn't..."_

_"AH! I know what you were doing..." She interrupted him. "You were talking with her, were you not? Your lover... your secret sweetheart. The woman you love. I heard you telling it to her."_

* * *

"You misunderstood..." Erik said "You heard only the one side of the conversation and you're rushing to draw conclusions."

"Oh! For god's sake!" Christine was screaming and it didn't look like she could stop, with her voice turning more strident with every word that left her mouth. "How stupid do you think I am? I heard you telling to her about the repurchase. _You_ are behind it, aren't you? You were behind it all this time and you never gave up. You let me utterly befool myself the day I came to you asking for help. And at the meantime you were laughing behind my back that you wouldn't only take the company but also me as an extra bonus."

Erik looked like he wanted to refuse that, but the last moment he changed his mind. Exasperated he put one of his hands at the back of his head and enlaced his fingers with his dark strands tugging at them slightly. He threw his cell phone on the table and inhaled slowly in his effort to calm down.

"There are... things that you don't know and that I couldn't tell you yet." He confessed with a sigh.

"The truth is a good way to begin with." Christine coldly stated.

"The truth is, Christine..." he stopped searching for the correct words. "I have some kind of vendetta, but really this has nothing to do with you."

She stared at him without showing any emotion. "Please!" she sarcastically said "Spare me and tell me what is really going on."

"I mean it, Christine." He insisted. "The person that I'm talking about is someone you don't know and I would like to keep it that way. He's not a man I would like to become acquaint with someone I... _deeply_ care about."

Christine rolled her eyes contemptuously "So, you finally decided to really care about me, huh?" she questioned "Why? Because I found out about your dirty secret? Or because I was surprisingly good in bed?"

"Don't cheapen yourself like that!" Erik's jaw was clenched so hard that he felt like it would break in any moment.

"I am anything but cheap, my dear." She smirked "Eighteen million pounds is a deucedly large amount to pay for sex. I hope you're satisfied with what you got, because that's all you'll ever get. It's over, Erik."

Erik felt his eyes watering. _No!_ It wouldn't end like that. "Would you put your father's health in danger only in order to abandon me?"

Her eyes became wide like saucers from the rage "You're talking to me about endangering my father's health?" she spat "You did the most dirty thing in the world of business and you have the audacity to talk to me? You took his life's work behind his back!"

"It wasn't behind his back." He whispered.

Christine glared daggers at him and she felt dizzy "Wh... what did you say?"

"Your father approached me two days before he had the heart-attack and talked to me about the repurchase." He started explaining "He suspected who was behind it and he came to me asking for advice. I ensured him that I would do anything in order to help him."

Christine opened and closed her mouth but she couldn't talk, she couldn't even think. Her father knew? He had gone to Erik for help? Then... why?

"Erwin was well aware of the whispers about his Company and he knew that he wouldn't find the money on time. I had already made sure though that your house was safe."

She couldn't utter a single word, she was too shocked. "The house? My parents' house is yours?"

"_Yes_ on the papers. _No _because it's against my principles."

Christine narrowed her eyes. "What is this supposed to mean?"

"It means that I would never take their house no matter how much money they owed me." Erik replied, capturing her eyes with his own.

Christine fought to keep her emotions under control. There were too many things she didn't know, things she never knew. She felt like a pawn in a game of chess that moved without her own will.

"I have no doubt that it was his work's stress that caused your father the heart attack." He continued "And then, of course, his worst nightmare became reality. His loaners suddenly asked for their money."

She cleared her throat "So... you had already agreed to help my father?" she was trying to realise what was going on.

"Of course I had. Your father stood by my side when my life was a mess. He was the only one who believed in me. My mother did everything she could, but I was heading to devastation until your father talked to me and told me that it was in my hand to change everything. He paid for my studies at the university and helped me with every problem I faced. I would give everything in my possession for him."

"Then... what you're telling me... is that the resort was never in actual danger?" Christine asked, her beautiful face marred with a frown.

Erik faced her inquisitive glare without flinching "Yes, Christine... that's exactly what I'm saying." He admitted with a heavy voice. "Your father is still the main owner and, if he wants it, he will remain at this position."

Christine wetted her dry lips with her tongue "I'm not sure that I fully understand that..." she said "Why did you involve me in that story? Why did you force me into a marriage?"

He looked at her for a few long moments, his eyes dark and unreadable "I cannot imagine a moment that you weren't part of my dream for success." He finally told her. "I always wanted you. I can't explain it further but I could never be really successful without you by my side."

"So I'm some kind of status symbol for you?" she questioned, feeling her rage returning full force. "Like the latest model of an expensive car, you wanted to show to the world what you _bought_."

Erik grimaced "I wouldn't describe it like that."

"Oh really?" she narrowed her eyes again "And how would you describe it, Erik?" she asked "You already have a lover. What on earth do you need a wife... especially someone like me?"

"I don't have a lover." He protested. "You really think that I've fallen so low?"

Christine's nails dag in her soft palms "How can you stand in front of me and lie like that?" she was shouting once more "I just heard you telling her that you love her."

A long pause followed that, their uneven breathing was the only sound.

Erik inhaled swiftly and let the air slowly. "Okay." He said "I'll break my promise and tell you."

Christine's eyebrow reached her hairline "What's that? The last moment's guilt, Erik?"

Erik groaned. Of course she wouldn't make it easier but for him, so he clenched his teeth and tried to be patient. "The young woman I was talking to isn't my lover." He said. "She's my half sister."

Christine kept her eyebrow raised and looked at him with disgust and cynicism "Then why don't you sort out this misunderstanding with the media?" she questioned "Why do you let everyone believe that she's you secret lover?"

"I want to protect her." he replied "She has no idea what kind of person our father is or what lengths he could reach in order to keep his fame untouched."

Christine frowned "Wait... that half sister of yours is your father's child, and not your mother's?"

"No, she's not my mother's. My mother didn't want more children... She wanted a husband to help her raise them. But the man she was in love with was already married. He took advantage of her and led her to a relationship and then; when she got pregnant, he sent her away, threatening to destroy her if she ever said who her child's father is. I only found out the day she died. I will never stop before I see him pay for everything he did to her."

Christine had a problem of following all those facts. "Your father is a dangerous person?" she asked when she found her voice.

His face had a sarcastic expression "Very." He answered "He knows many people from the underworld... drug dealers, murderers... He found it amusing to try to destroy your father's business when he found about me and your family, but thankfully I have my own people who informed me about that and I had the time to organise my strategy."

"Oh god, Erik. I don't know what to say. I feel so confused." She stated.

He approached her and caught her from the shoulders, staring deeply into her eyes "Listen to me, Christine." He started "I love you. I loved you since I first met you and you were a young teenager. A teenager who thought she was an adult." He chuckled but turned serious immediately "I loved you when you _really _grew up. I even loved you when you married that bastard, Chaney, because deep inside me I felt that one day we would be together."

Christine blinked in her effort to stop her tears. He finally told her those three little words she so craved to hear. "Oh, my love, we would have been together so long ago if I weren't such an egoist and stubborn. I wish I had heard you _that night_."

"I blame myself." He said and as soon as he took his hands from her body he started pacing in the room. "I made numerous mistakes. It wasn't a long time after I returned to the country that I heard that Chaney had made his interest about you known. I blame myself for Nathan's death too. I should have seen it coming, but I didn't."

Christine shook her head "No, no... You shouldn't talk like that. It wasn't your fault. How can you think that?"

He lifted his eyes to her "Let me finish, sweetheart, please." He told her, his voice hoarse from the emotion. "I was away for a very long time. Nathan had come to me asking for advice about his career before I left with my mother. He didn't want a position at your father's company, but he was afraid of admitting it. He was ashamed that he wasn't what your parents wanted him to be. He wanted to study art. He was gifted with a rare gift, but he didn't want to disappoint your parents."

"The painting..." she whispered "The painting with the little boy..." her words were barely audible. She immediately recalled the conversation she had had with him then.

"_Don't you recognise the artist?" _he had asked.

"_No." _She had replied then_ "Should I know him?"_

"_Probably not." _He had murmured_ "He always felt a little uncomfortable about his passion for painting. This is the only painting which survived... he destroyed everything else. I believe this is one of his last works... he died you see."_

Everything matched and she suddenly felt so proud but at the same time so sad. "It's Nathan's work, isn't it?"

Erik nodded. "He was an amazing talent, Christine. But he didn't believe in himself. I think that's why he turned to drugs. He wanted to block the doubts he was feeling... his insecurities. But for him those doubts were like demons... eating him alive mercilessly. I tried to help him and at some point I felt that things were improving... and then... and then I found out about my mother's sickness. I felt like I owed it to her to go back at her motherland and take care of her. It seemed right. She was there when I took my first breath. I was there when she took her last one."

Christine approached him, wrapping her arms around him, loving, admiring, adoring the man that he was... the man he had always been.

"I cannot tell you how much I love you." She told him "I'm not worthy of you. I think that's why I wasn't willing to believe that you really loved me."

Erik pulled her even closer, holding her against his thundering heart. "You really deserve to be loved, Christine." He murmured "You deserve love more than anyone else and no one can ever love you more than me. I'm sure about that."

She couldn't hold back her tears anymore. But those were tears of joy. "Our honeymoon didn't finish then?"

Erik smiled and lifted her in his arm, bridal style. "When I'll carry you to our bedroom you'll have a second round... are you ready for this?" his eyes were blazing.

"Hmmm..." she pretended that she was considering it "I think I am ready. Why don't we test it?" her smile was playful.

His gaze turned fiery "Yes, let's test it." And with that he started walking towards their bedroom.

No more than ten minutes later she was passing the test with an A*.

* * *

**Epilogue**

_4 years later..._

"Daddy, daddy!" a little girl shouted and ran to her father. Her dark curls bouncing on her shoulders. "Look what mummy bought me!" she said and showed him her new doll.

Erik lifted Hope in his arms and looked into her eyes "How's my princess?" he kissed her soft cheek and she wrapped her small arm around his neck. "Were you a good girl with your aunt and mum?"

"Yes, she was a very good girl and that's why she got a new doll." A very pregnant Christine said as soon as she entered the room with her sister-in-law. "Sweetheart go wash your hands and face, your grandparents will be here soon."

Lucille giggled and helped Christine carry the bags with their shopping.

Erik's smile reached his ears and let the little girl down and rushed to his wife and sister. He hugged his sister and pecked Christine softly on the lips, his palm caressing her abdomen lovingly.

"Your son hasn't stopped kicking today." Christine scolded Erik, who grinned proudly at her.

"How was your day, mesdames?" he asked charmingly.

"Very good, thank you, Erik." Lucille replied.

Christine added with a sigh "It's been a while since we last went out alone and had some woman talk." She winked at Lucille.

"Hmmm... should I feel scared?" Erik asked with a grin.

"Oh I don't know..." Lucille laughed and Christine joined her.

Erik chuckled and after excusing himself he walked to his daughter's bedroom.

...

* * *

Erik couldn't believe in his luck. He had everything he could ever wish for. A wonderful family, all the problems with the Daniels Company had been solved very soon and his and Lucille's 'father' was put into jail after his connections with the underworld were revealed.

"ERIK!" a shout interrupted his thoughts.

"Hmm? What's wrong, Lucille?"

"Erik! Are you daydreaming? I called you several times. Why didn't you reply?" she paused and took a breath.

"Daddy, why is mummy in pain?" his daughter's worried expression made him wake up from his beautiful thoughts and start realising what was going on.

"Christine is in labour?"

"AAAAH!" Was heard right then from the dining room. "HURRY!"

"Good guess, brother." Lucille scoffed.

"Daddy! Mummy is having a baby!"

"Right." He was shocked.

"Erik, for Christ's sake even your daughter knows what's going on!"

"ERIIIIIIK!" Christine's voice interrupted their little chat.

"Christine!" he called back "Lucille get the car at the front door." And then he rushed to his wife.

"Come on, little one." She said to her niece and together they rushed to the garage.

...

* * *

"My love! How are you feeling?"

"Great, it's a wonderful day after all!" she glared daggers at him "I'm having your son you fool!"

"Calm down, love. Everything's going to be just fine." He said as he helped her up and led her at the door.

"Tell that to yourself... AAAAAH... You were the one who fainted the last time." She grunted.

Erik blushed and held her closer to his body.

...

* * *

"Erwin, what is going on over there? Why is everyone outside?" Gladys asked her husband as soon as they entered their daughter and son-in-law's front yard.

"I don't know, sweetheart, but we will find out soon enough." He replied calmly.

Their question was answered immediately.

"Granny! Grandpa! Mummy's having a baby!"

"WHAT!" the older couple said in unison.

"Yes! And Aunt Lucille saw you coming and told me to go with you because mummy is shouting so so so loudly." She giggled.

"Yes... Yes, darling of course!" Gladys said and the three of them stepped aside in order to let the car exit.

...

* * *

_Eight hours later..._

"Grandpa, I'm tired." Hope complained. "Does it always take so long to deliver a baby?"

Erwin smiled. "Sometimes it takes much longer, princess."

"Then I'm never going to have a baby!" she announced stubbornly and made everyone in the room laugh.

"I think I'm going to get a cup of coffee" Lucille stood up. "Gladys? Erwin? Do you want me to bring you one?"

"Wait a moment, dear!" Gladys said and stuck her eyes at a door "I have a feeli-"

She didn't have the time to finish her sentence and Erik rushed out of the door smiling broadly.

Lucille turned wide-eyed at Gladys. "How did you..."

"Mother's intuition, my dear." She smiled and patted the young woman's shoulder.

"Hello, everyone." Erik was obviously exhausted but nothing could ruin his happiness "Care to see the family's newest member?"

"YEEES!" his daughter shouted and hugged his leg.

"Can we see them now?" Erwin asked.

"The doctor said that you can." Erik confirmed.

...

* * *

_In Christine's hospital room..._

"My baby." Gladys said with tears in her eyes and ran at her daughter. "Hello, little one." She whispered at the newborn that was suckling on his mother's breast. He was perfect.

Lucille, Erik and Erwin holding Hope in his arms followed slowly and encircled Christine's bed.

"He's so tiny." Hope stated as-a-matter-of-fact. "Was I that small too?"

"You were even smaller, little one." Her grandfather said.

"Wow..." the little girl exhaled. "At least when he's older he'll be bigger than me and he'll take care of me." She said proudly and everyone tried to stifle their laughter. "How are you, mummy?"

"I'm okay sweetheart." She said and took Erik's hand in hers and smiled at him softly. "Now, I am okay."

Erik bent and kissed her firmly on the lips "I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too." She whispered back.

"Okay everyone!" Lucille interrupted the moment. "Fifteen seconds!" she announced as she put her camera at the opposite side of the bed on a small self.

Christine laughed and lifted her son making him lie on his back on her stomach. Erik lifted Hope and Lucille went at his side whereas Erwin and Gladys remained at the other side next to Christine.

"Say cheese!"

"CHEESE!" they said in unison and then a soft "click" was heard from the camera.

Everything was perfect...

THE END...

* * *

**A/N: The end :)... phew... wow...  
So... there are good and bad news xD... the bad news is that there's no more "Passion and Vengeance" and the good news is that I've already started working on a Medieval E/C Story... It's going to be totally different comparing to my other two stories and TBH it's something new to me. I will start uploading it once it's finished, or nearly finished, because honestly I don't like keep you waiting for my updates... Also, in my POV it's easier editing an entire story than editing single chapters because when editing single chapters you have to be very careful in every detail and once you upload it you cannot just delete it when you realise that something better would have happened had you changed a small detail and I have to admit that in this story that happened several times to me... I was like "Dang it! Why did I write that thing? Now I cannot write that and that and that..." Anyways... I hope it works ;)...**

**Finally, I want to thank all of you for your patience and for your positive feedback :)...  
So... till the next time, folks ;D! **

**¡Saludos!**


End file.
